What May Be
by Srellet
Summary: Leia is captured by a mysterious Force-sensitive. It is up to Han to rescue her, and to Luke to save her from herself. H/L/L REVISED VERSION.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1:

Princess Leia Organa guided her X-wing toward the planet Diepre. She frowned at the gray clouds that covered the planet; the thick atmosphere would make their reconnaissance mission difficult. Of course they could use their sensors to detect large groups of habitants and big weapons, but to be certain these habitants were remnants of the Empire, they would have to fly below the clouds. That increased their chances of being detected. The Rebellion—Alliance, now—may have destroyed the Death Star, killed both Darth Vader and the Emperor, and shattered the Empire, but the Imperial remnants still posed a threat to the fledging government being organized.

Some planets controlled by the Empire stayed loyal to the Empire, but more planets had populations that turned on the oppressive Imperials and fought back. However, they didn't have the resources or the training to succeed and were in need of aid from the Alliance that stretched the Alliances resources thin. Those planets that managed to force the Imperials to leave sent the Imperials searching for a safe place to regroup. Usually, they settled on the outer planets that were neutral during the war. Intel learned that one of these planets could be Diepre.

When Leia learned of the recognizant mission on Diepre, she jumped at the chance to lead the squadron. Lately, Mon Montha sent Leia on diplomatic missions to various planets who were on the fence about joining the New Republic. She spent her time with politicians who dragged out the process to get as much out of the new government as they could. Of course, they had their planets' interests in mind, but some searched gains that benefited themselves. Leia was successful in her missions, but dealing with politicians drained her patience. The Empire had not been defeated with the death of the Emperor; there was still a fight yet to be won.

Mon Montha—the interim chancellor—had been reluctant to allow Leia to fight in the trenches with her fellow soldiers because Leia's talents as a diplomat and politician were valuable to the fledging government. Fortunately, the chancellor gave into Leia's arguments this time and allowed her to lead this recognizant mission. Since the princess would not be directly involved in combat, Mon Montha saw it as safe for Leia.

Leia's father popped into mind as she thought of her conversation with Mon Montha. Her father raised her to be a diplomat and politician so that she could take her place in the new government, but Leia had a difficult time accepting that role now that she got a taste of combat. In combat, enemies were straight-forward; there was no double-talk, no facades to put on. Battles ended in concrete results; there was a clear winner and loser.

The princess—now Black Leader—checked the coordinates that Intel had given her. They were close to the suspected Imperial base. The hair on the nape of her neck rose as she turned her attention to the thick atmosphere. Something wasn't right….

"We're gonna have to fly low to see anything." Black Two's voice came through the speakers in her helmet.

"They could have sensors, Prog," Drek said.

"You can bet on it, Black One," Leia said. "And use your flight monikers."

"Sorry, Black Leader."

"Stay hidden in the clouds. If we are unable to detect Imperial activity then we'll have to do it by foot."

"Are you sure that's wise, Black Leader?" Remi, Black Three, asked.

Leia scowled. Mon Montha only sent her on this mission because they were only to do recognizance from the sky. Her squadron knew that.

"We can't return without completing the mission."

"Yes, Princ—Black Leader."

"Commence decent."

Prog adjusted his scanners. "I'm not picking up anything."

"Neither am I."

"The atmosphere is interfering with our sensors," Leia said. She bit her lip. "Drop forty feet lower."

"Lower?"

"We make our pass-over quick. By the time they detect us, we'll be gone. Hopefully, we'll be able to get visuals on ground. Fall into formation."

The X-wings fell into place and they made their decent.

"Pull up, Black One," Leia ordered.

"I can't! Something's messing with my equipment!"

"Imps?"

"Negative. I don't know what!" Panic colored Prog's voice. "I'm losing control! I'm not going to—"

"Prog!" Leia yelled as she witnessed an electrical current pull Black One's X-wing down through the clouds. "All craft pull up!"

Leia watched Drek's ship disappear in the thick atmosphere. "PULL UP!"

Leia pulled back on the throttle. Her ship began to shake and rattle. Her fingers flew over her controls as she tried to send out a distress signal. She yelped as an electrical current snapped at her fingers and encompassed her console.

"I'm going down!"

Leia looked on helplessly as Remi's ship fell from the sky. Her own X-wing's control panel went dark, and the G-force glued her to her seat; she couldn't move a muscle. When she realized there was nothing she could do, her thoughts went to Han. He was on Ganga fighting yet another remnant of the Empire. She hadn't seen him in eleven weeks, and he had no knowledge of her taking this mission. What was the last thing she said to him? She couldn't recall, but it wasn't "I love you." Whatever she said, would that be the last thing she said to him?

That was the last thought that crossed her mind before she lost consciousness.

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Luke Skywalker dunked down and entered his dead Master's home on Dagobath. It had been two standard months since he took a leave of absence from the Alliance to search for information about the Jedi Order during the Old Republic. He already had collected Jedi relics and records from Ben Kenobi's abode on Tatooine. Luke didn't find much there; Obi Wan's place had been torn apart by scavengers, and the trunk from which Ben retrieved Luke's father's lightsaber was no longer there. Although, Luke came across no sentient beings on Dagobath the two times he was there, that didn't mean the planet was devoid of sentient beings. There was a slim chance that Yoda's home was ransacked after his death.

With both Ben Kenobi and Yoda gone, Luke had no one to guide him. He never felt more alone in the galaxy. Would they return to him like Ben did on Hoth? Like Ben, Yoda, and his father did on Endor? Would they appear to him again to help him fulfill his Destiny?

 _His Destiny_. Now that he fulfilled his destiny by facing Darth Vader and killing the Emperor, what was his destiny now? Perhaps it was to seek out Force sensitives and restore the Jedi Order. At least that was what Luke was going to do. He would train the next generation of Jedi, and they would protect the budding New Republic as his predecessors once did. Luke was a Jedi now—the last of the Jedi—but he was no Master. He needed to become a Master of the Force if he were to train the next generation. With no Master to guide him, he had his fears. The last thing Luke wanted to do was have one of the pupils he trained turn to the Dark Side like his father did.

That was why Luke was seeking out all the information he could gather on the Jedi Order.

Luke moved through Yoda's home. Insects had taken up residence—along with a few mammals based on the droppings Luke spotted—but nothing had changed since the last time he was here. A wave of forlorn overcame him as his blue eyes fell upon the bed where Yoda's body had faded away. Would Luke's death be the same?

There had been so much death over the last several years because of the Empire. Because of the Rebellion. Now that he had stepped away from the Alliance, Luke allowed himself to mourn. He believed in the Alliance; he was committed to eradicating the oppressive Empire from the galaxy. However, he couldn't get passed the deaths their losses and victories had cost them. Luke had only fought with the Rebellion for the last three years, but it seemed like a lifetime. And the battles still continued as the Alliance forces hunted down the last remnants of the Empire.

Tears gathered in Luke's eyes, but they did not fall. He thought of his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru who died because they had the misfortune of purchasing R2-D2 and C-3PO from the Jawas, who also lost their lives. Biggs died just when they were reunited, along with the rest of the Red Squadron as they tried to destroy the first Death Star. His gunner Dak—fresh-faced and naïve—died when he and Luke's snowspeeder was shot down by an AT-AT. Rand, Scully, Fen, his friends and comrades, lost their lives in various battles. Luke had stopped himself from getting close to any of his comrades after Hoth.

But the anonymous deaths of the rebels he didn't know, of the civilians caught in the crossfire, and of the Imperials just doing their job still haunted him. So many died in the battle of Death Star I, but that did little to end the war. It was as if that victory meant nothing. And more losses came with the battles following whether they were victorious or not. How many rebels were left behind on Hoth?

Luke had watched the Alliance fleet lose many talented pilots, many more of his friends, from the Emperor's throne room on the second Death Star…

But Luke was still alive.

So many times Luke should have died but didn't. Over the first Death Star, he could feel that the TIE fighter—Darth Vader's TIE fighter, though he didn't know it at the time—had Luke in his sights.

Han had saved him.

On Cloud City, hanging on that weather vein. Luke should have died then.

Leia had saved him.

And on the second Death Star, withering under the electrical current that flowed from the Emperor's hands, Luke should have died.

Darth Vader had saved him.

Luke sighed. He had survived too many battles when the odds were against him. Did he not die because he was _destined_ for something greater?

 _It is your Destiny_ , Ben's words. Yoda's words. Luke missed the time when he was just a farm boy with no Destiny. He mourned that naïve boy who was dissatisfied with his life on Tatooine and who longed for adventure. Back then, he believed fighting with the Rebellion was the greatest adventure. He imagined glorious battles won and heroic feats. That boy never considered how much death comes with war.

Would he have chosen the same path, if he had the chance to go back?

Leia would be dead. He would have never learned that she was his sister. Or that Darth Vader was his father.

Skywalker closed his eyes. The pyre he burned his father's body emerged in his thoughts. Yoda and Ben wanted Luke to kill the Darth Vader. Luke succeeded in turning Vader to the Light Side. Did Luke defy Destiny? Or did Destiny play out the way it was meant to be?

Luke wished he could have had time to get to know his father, Anakin Skywalker, before he died. But if Darth Vader had lived, he would have never been accepted by the Alliance—or anyone else in the galaxy. Vader would have been imprisoned, executed. He would always be Darth Vader to those he had tortured and oppressed. Darth Vader _was_ the face of the Empire. No one would ever see Anakin Skywalker through that monstrous mask his father wore. Even Leia was unable to see her true father; she couldn't forgive Darth Vader.

Leia's anger always flared when Luke spoke of their father. She had a lot of anger inside her. Could Luke blame her? Vader had tortured her, destroyed Alderaan, killed her family, and froze Han in carbonite. Still, her anger was dangerous, and she needed to learn how to control it. He taught her some calming exercises so that she could contain that anger, but even when she practiced them, he could still feel her anger. Luke couldn't help but worry about her.

With a sigh, Luke crouched down next to Yoda's bed. There was a lone box nestled close to the clay wall. He had to lie on his stomach to retrieve the box. Luke froze when he saw the word written on the cover:

 _LUKE_

Why hadn't Yoda given him this box before Yoda died? Did Yoda know Luke would return to Dagobath in search of knowledge about the Jedi Order? Did this box confirm that Luke's Destiny was to restore the Jedi Order?

Luke started to open the box. But then he dropped the box as a chill ran up his spine.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2:

With his hands on his hips, General Han Solo watched another group of prisoners being led away to the stockade that once belonged to the Empire. They had captured a large number of stormtroopers and Imperial officers, and he hoped the stockade would hold them all. Han also wondered what would happen to these prisoners after the Alliance forces returned control over to the citizens of Ganga. Many wanted retribution for the crimes committed against them. Of course, the higher ranking officers would be transferred to Chandrila where the new government was establishing itself. These officers would be tried by the inter-galaxy courts to prevent unnecessary bloodshed on Ganga.

Those lower officers and stormtroopers would most likely be sent to re-education camps. Han pressed his lips together. How was that different from the Empire's tactics? He wasn't sure how he felt about that. There were those citizens who supported the Empire either because they believed in the Empire or wanted to save their own lives. This dilemma could be trouble for the Alliance. If the Empire was able to take control again, their victories here on Ganga would be wasted, and the Alliance would be threatened. Still, re-education camps? It made Han uneasy.

Solo would leave some troops behind to protect the captured Imperials and keep peace until the capital city, Brey, could re-form a working government. The Alliance's resources were being stretched thin. How long could they keep peace in the territories they regained from the Empire?

Although Han and his troops achieved victory in Brey, the battle wasn't over. There were still pockets of Imperial activity on Ganga, and Grand Moff Timian managed to escape. Han set up a search team comprised of a few of his special opts men and some Ganga guerilla fighters.

While the fierce tribes of Ganga executed guerilla attacks on the Empire's forces, their tribes battled each other for territory and resources on a constant basis. Once they formed alliances amongst themselves, they were effective at making life difficult for the Empire. However, they couldn't defeat the Empire because they lacked the military weapons and might to do so. The Alliance recognized the importance of taking Ganga—the planet was rich in resources— and finally sent armies and air support to assist the Ganga citizens. Han was just one of a handful of generals sent to retake cities and flush out the Imperials.

The former smuggler shook his head. Mon Montha would soon send a diplomatic envoy to Ganga once most of the Empire was defeated. Most likely Leia would be sent. She would have her work cut out for her. Han doubted that a society that only knew of power struggles and war would accept a democratic government. Leia believed that democracy was the only fair and successful way to govern; everyone should have a voice. Although her views had hardened over the years, she held on to her belief in democracy with a tight fist.

"General," Commander Fallion marched up to Han. "The prisoners are secure and the remaining Imperials are fleeing south."

"Towards Se'lego."

The corner of Han's lip curled. That city was the closest city to Brey. If the Imperials reached Se'lego, Han and his troops could be facing another drawn out battle. A battalion of Imperials kept the citizens living in Se'lego in line. If the Imperials managed to regroup, and Grand Moff Timian reached that city…Han sighed. His troops were tired and worn out from their eleven—week battle. How much longer can they carry on?

General Solo needed reinforcements.

"Corporal Fallion. Contact General Madine. Request more troops."

"Yes, sir." Fallion saluted and turned on his heel.

Han cringed. He'd never get used to being addressed as "sir" or "general." He was never a soldier, and until he fell in love with Leia, he never planned on being a soldier. Organizing troops, strategizing, losing men, the destruction that war brought to the lives of the soldiers and the innocent citizens caught in the cross fire…to be truthful, he had no stomach for it. But Han proved to have a special talent for leading.

 _You're a natural leader,_ Leia once told them—while she and he were engaged in another argument on Hoth.

Still, there was some truth to Leia's words. Men looked up to Han—a former smuggler and criminal—and they enthusiastically followed him into battle. Han stayed with the Rebellion because of Leia, joined to prove his commitment to her. But that commitment to her turned into a true commitment to the Alliance. He now believed in the cause. So now Han did what he had to do.

Solo returned his hazel eyes to his surroundings. So much damage, but it was unavoidable. Still, he couldn't help feeling guilty; the Gangians had a lot of rebuilding to do. The Alliance would not take part in the reconstruction. They didn't have the credits to help. Their monetary resources went into re-establishing the Republic. Han hated city battles—all those citizens displaced, all the ones who couldn't get out—but sometimes it was a necessary evil. Still, he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to do this job. He already had taken on too many of these missions, and they were wearing him down.

When would Han finish his mission and return to Candrila, return to Leia? Eleven weeks had already passed. If he and his troops didn't stop the remnants of Imperials before they reached Se'lego, the battle could rage on for another two months or longer.

Han terribly missed Leia. She and Chewbacca had left Chandrilla several days before Han did. Mon Montha sent her to Coruscant to iron out some wrinkles created by the squabbling remnants of the nobles and delegates who were supposed to be working together to re-establish order on a planet now devoid of order. Chewie served as her pilot and bodyguard. At least Han knew she was safe.

Solo smiled to himself as he recalled the Corellian curse words Leia muttered under her breath as she boarded her shuttle. After years of fighting side-by-side with the rebel soldiers, with him, she found the role of a diplomat boring and tedious. She despised playing politics.

Although Han preferred to have Leia fighting by his side, those diplomatic missions the High Command sent her on were safer. Less chance of her getting shot, and less change of her getting killed. Solo smiled to himself. If Leia knew that thought passed through his mind, she would have more than a few choice words for him.

Han's mood sobered. He hated that their roles in the Alliance kept them apart far too often. They had pockets of time together; a few weeks here, some days there. They're new relationship strained under the weight of their commitments. Maybe next mission, he could be assigned as her bodyguard. He wouldn't mind escorting her around the galaxy for a while. Han missed the openness of space and Leia's relaxed smile when she was aboard the _Falcon_. He could use a break from the death around him.

After all the death he had experienced, Han realized how precious life was in a way he never realized before. He had begun to fear dying in one of these battles—though this fear did not hinder his wits. He took fewer risks because he now had something truly meaningful in his life: Leia.

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Leia took a deep breath; she was rewarded with sharp pain all over body. She cringed; there didn't seem a place in her body that didn't hurt. She remained still as she replayed the crash. Their ships weren't brought down by lightning or any other natural electrical currents. No, this was man-made. She had never experienced this phenomenon before and didn't know if the Imperials had this kind of technology. It was possible, Leia supposed. The Empire was always experimenting with new technologies. However, this was powerful enough to shut down the controls of an X-wing and override manual control. She couldn't imagine that the remnants of the Imperials would have the resources and the power to create a weapon that tore ships from the sky.

The princess couldn't help but wonder how she survived the crash. She had blacked out and had no memory of hitting the ground. She remembered pulling the ejection lever, but the parachute to slow the decent of the X-wing never opened and her ejection from the cockpit never happened. She should have been dead. Leia bit her lip. Just because she was still alive, didn't mean she was out of the woods yet. From the pain she was experiencing, her injuries were severe.

Leia slowly opened her eyes. Everything was blurry. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, but while her vision improved, things still remained fuzzy around the edges. She squinted as she looked around. Her X-wing was tipped to the left, and the swampy water she landed in reached a few inches below the cockpit. She was surrounded by large trees with moss hanging in ropes from their branches.

Another deep breath racked her body with more pain. Leia concentrated on taking shallow breaths. Her head ached, and she reached up to remove her helmet. Her eyes fell on her burnt finger tips sticking out of the holes in her gloves. She pressed her lips together, removed her helmet, and dropped it. It made a small splash as it hit the brown water. Then she touched her temple; her hand was covered in blood.

Leia grimaced as she undid her restraint. At least she felt pain in all parts of her body; there were no signs that she was paralyzed in any way. However, her injuries kept her movements small, and getting out of her X-wing would prove to be a challenge. Even if she was able to climb out of her damaged ship, she wouldn't get far. Not to mention that she was stuck in a swamp with no idea of where she was exactly or which direction led to the nearest city or town. For all she knew she was in the heart of Imperial territory. Maybe if she could assess the damage of her ship…

"Aw!"

She froze where she was and let the sharp wave of pain subside. Leia expelled a sarcastic laugh as she wondered what odds C-3PO would give her chance of survival. Probably not good, definitely not in her favor.

The princess closed her eyes and her thoughts turned to Han. Han didn't know that she had taken on this recognizance mission; he didn't know where she was, and he wouldn't be coming to her rescue this time. Even if Han could find her, Leia doubted that she would survive long enough for any rescue.

What was the last thing she had said to him? Leia couldn't recall. Were they arguing? Did she tell him that she loved him as she left for another tedious diplomatic mission? Would whatever she said be the last thing she said to him? What did she say? If only she spent more time saying good-bye to him. Leia vowed to herself that she would give him the longest good-byes possible if she got out of this mess. She definitely needed to request some time off for Han and herself, or at least request to accompany him on his missions.

"Princess!"

Leia opened her eyes to find Prog next to her fallen X-wing. The swampy water came up to his hips, blood flowed from his nose and from a deep gash in his arm, and his skin was pale.

"Prog," she breathed. "You survived."

"So did you." The X-wing pilot smiled at her, though his voice was strained.

"What about Drek and Remi?"

"I haven't—"

Prog's mouth morphed into shock. Blood poured out of the slice in his neck that wasn't there a moment ago.

"Prog?"

Prog dropped into the water. In his place, a man stood holding a curved blade in his hand. The man was tall and wore armor formed out of dragon scales. He also wore a sanguine cape and high boots over his khaki pants. Leia thought that khaki pants were the wrong color for a swamp, hard to keep clean. And the cape? People in capes usually had not-so-good intentions. Darth Vader wore a cape; a picture of the black material swirling around him, the menace in his sharp moves came to her mind. But Lando wore a cape, Leia remembered, and he turned out saving her and Chewie's life. However, he also betrayed Han before he saved their lives. No, capes did not bode well for Leia; Prog was dead, killed by this unknown man, and she had little hope for the rest of her team.

"Princess Leia Organa, herself," the man growled. "Your Highness," he bowed his head before meeting her eyes again, "We've been expecting you."

 _Expecting me?_ A chill ran down Leia's spine. She took note of the two armored men who flanked him. Not Stormtroopers.

"How did you know…"

"It was you?"

She looked up into his golden eyes. She would have nodded if that movement wouldn't ignite pain.

"Your presence is strong in the Force."

The princess opened her mouth but found no words. The man raised his gloved hand to her head. Her eyelids grew heavy. She fought to keep her them open, but she was weak and succumbed to the man's will.

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 _Leia…_ Luke Skywalker dropped the box with his name written on it, closed his blue eyes, and concentrated. Her presence in the Force was weak, but he could feel her. She was still alive; Luke could take solace in that. However, there was something like a dark aura hovering over her. Where was she? Not on Chadrila. He dug deeper inside himself, focusing only on his sister. The Outer-Rim, but where?

Luke grimaced. A shadow of pain radiated through his body, a flash of anger and confusion. Leia must have been injured, but she was safe for the moment; that much Luke could sense.

Still….

The last Jedi pulled out his commlink and activated it.

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"General Solo!"

Standing in the tent over the hologram of the terrain between Brey and Se'lego, Han was surrounded by several of his top officers. He scowled and looked up from the map.

"This better be important, Sergeant," he growled.

"The Imperials' long-distant jamming signal is down."

"Great."

"Commander Skywalker has sent a message."

"What is it?"

"He wants you to contact him as soon as possible."

 _As soon as possible._ "Did he say anything else?"

"No."

Something didn't feel right. The kid—no, Luke wasn't a kid anymore—Luke had told Han that he needed to be out of contact with everyone while he searched for information about the Jedi Order. He even cut communication with Leia. What would be so important that he felt the need to break his silence now? Maybe Luke found what he was looking for and has returned to Chandrila.

No, something didn't feel right. Luke wouldn't have contacted Han in the middle of a battle just to let Han know he returned.

"How old's the message?"

"Six days old."

"Great," he mumbled. "Thanks."

Six days and Luke's brief message sounded urgent. But then Luke hadn't been himself since he became a Jedi, and Han could be interpreting Luke's message wrong. Luke carried a weight upon his shoulders and found less pleasure in the things that he enjoyed since he had rescued Han from Jabba. There was something Luke was hiding, something he was ashamed of. Han suspected Leia knew Luke's secret and that it also weighed heavy upon her; she hadn't shared it with Han. As hard as it was, Han didn't push her to betray Luke's confidence, but he couldn't help but feel distant from the two when the three of them were together.

Han stalked to the outer tent of his private quarters—a tent smaller than the command center's—and went straight to the communications station.

"You can take a break, Corporal."

"Thank you, sir."

The corporal rose from his seat and exited the tent. As soon as the corporal stepped out of the tent, Han contacted Luke. Luke's face appeared on the screen.

"Han."

"What's so urgent?"

"Have you heard from Leia?"

"No. The Imps had been jamming our com signals. Why?"

"I've tried to contact her. Do you know where is she?"

"She should be on Chandrila unless they sent her on another diplomatic mission."

"She's not. General Reikken said that she is leading a recognizance mission on Diepre and that she'd be back in two weeks or so if everything goes well."

"Just great," Han muttered. "He told you that, six days ago?"

"No, I contacted him again yesterday."

"Do you think something's wrong?

Luke hesitated. "I…I just to check in with her."

"Why?"

Luke pressed his lips together but then immediately relaxed his face. "It's just a feeling I got."

"A bad feeling?"

"I don't know." Luke sighed. "I just…I'm not even sure what it is."

"You do." Han's brow lowered. "She hurt?"

"Maybe. I don't know." The Jedi looked away. "It wasn't a vision, just a feeling, some kind of shadow."

"Shadow? You have to be more specific."

"I can't."

Solo narrowed his hazel eyes at his friend.

Luke exhaled. "I felt it for just a moment. It's something I can't pinpoint."

"But it's something that made you break your silence."

"It was only a moment that I felt it. I don't feel it anymore, but her imprint in the Force is weak."

"When did she leave for Diepre?"

"A week ago," Luke answered.

"Has Reikken heard from her?"

"No, but that's not anything to worry about. There's a lot of atmospheric interference. Communication has been sketchy at best."

"Is Chewie with her?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. Reikken says it's a routine recognizance mission. Leia and her team are just doing a fly by to see if there's any Imperial activity."

Han gritted his teeth together. "She's in trouble."

"I don't know."

"But you felt the need to contact her," Han tilted his head to the right. "And contact me."

Luke's lips pulled to the left. "I…I just wanted to check in on her. I thought she might've contacted you."

"Where are you?"

"On Dagobath."

"Chewie should be with her. I told him not to let her out of his sight. He'll keep her safe."

"That's true." Luke's lips twitched. He didn't sense Chewbacca's presence, but he barely registered Leia's presence in the Force. He has a stronger connection to her than the Wookie.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid." Luke didn't really believe that, though.

Han pulled on his chin. "So you don't think she's in danger?"

Luke closed his eyes and inhaled. "I can't feel anything."

Han swallowed down his panic. "We should go find her."

"You can't leave Ganga, Han. They need you, and I'm not even sure Leia needs our help."

"Leia's more important than this mission."

"I know, but I sense you'll be successful in capturing the Imps before they reach Se'lego. If you leave, the fate of the Alliance could be defeat."

"Because of one battle?"

"Not all battles have been victorious."

"But Leia—"

"I'll take care of her."

"You better."

"Han, she's my sister. I love her as well." Luke's lips stretched into a small sober smile.

 _There's that look again._ Han nodded. Maybe whatever Luke felt had to do with the secret he had with Leia.

"I know. I trust you."

"I promise to contact you as soon as I know anything."

Han stayed at the communications desk after Luke's face faded. Leia could be in trouble, or Luke wanted to contact her because of their secret. Han didn't know what to think.

"General," the corporal popped his head into the tent. "The Command Team needs you."

"Right."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3:

Leia's mind and body felt as if she was buried in the mud of the swamp where her ship crash landed. She tried to recall where she was, what happened before she blacked out, but her thoughts flowed as slow as molasses. Han's face appeared behind her eyelids. _Han…_

When had she last seen him? Han didn't know that she took this recognizance mission; he didn't know where she was. _She_ didn't know where she was… She crashed on Diepre; that was where she had to be. The controls of her ship stopped working after an electrical…something struck her X-wing. It wasn't lightning or something natural. X-wings could withstand blast hits if not directly hit. This was something else. Leia got a bad feeling.

The princess forced her eyes open. A hazy film surrounded the objects in the white room. She blinked a few times but her vision remained fuzzy. Though the lighting was dim, she had a hard time holding open her eyelids. With effort, her eyes traveled around the room. A chair, vital monitors, an IV hanging from a stand to her left, guardrails on each side of the bed in which she lay. Medical equipment. She must be in a hospital of sorts. Perhaps the Alliance sent a rescue team…

No, the room was too homey to be the medical center on Chandrila. She was still on Diepre.

Leia's eyes followed the tube trailing from the IV. It ended in her arm. She started to reach for it but she couldn't. She looked at her hand; it was tethered to the guardrail. The princess pulled on the restraint to test its strength. She tried her other hand; it was tethered as well. She was someone's prisoner. Imperial?

"You're awake."

Leia turned her eyes toward the voice—a male voice, deep, gravelly. Cheery. She closed her eyes.

"Come on. You can't sleep your life away," the man said as he adjusted the IV.

The princess opened her large brown eyes. A man, the same one that slit Prog's throat— _Prog_ —moved to stand at the foot of her bed. His blonde hair was swept back and hung to his shoulders. His prominent brow shadowed his eyes, and his square jaw and fit physique made him look like a superhero from the comic holographs she read as a child. But his shadowy eyes made him appear villain-like. The man wasn't wearing the sleek dragon armor he wore when she first saw him at the side of her X-wing. He now donned a crisp ivory tunic with a sanguine-colored insignia on the right side of his chest that Leia remembered seeing somewhere but couldn't place. His pants were brown with an ivory stripe running up the sides of his legs, and his dark brown leather boots stopped at his knees. And there was that damn sanguine cape.

"Where's the rest of my team? she asked.

"Unfortunately, they did not make it."

"You kill them like you did Prog?"

"Prog was going to die anyway. I put him out of his misery."

"And did you do the same for the others?"

"One was melted into his X-wing. The other, well, we never found him."

"Did you look?"

"There was no point."

"Why did you kill Prog?"

"I didn't need Prog." The man clutched his hands behind his back. "I needed you."

"Why?" she asked again.

"In time, I will reveal my reasons."

"Who are you?"

"Your greatest ally." The man's lips stretched into a smile.

She shivered. "You're no ally of mine."

He laughed. "In time."

She tugged at her restraints. "Allies don't tie allies down."

"You're severely injured. I feared that you would hurt yourself."

Leia narrowed her eyes. "No. That not it."

"You're too powerful to be given freedom."

She swallowed down the hoarseness in her voice. "I'm not powerful, but I do have powerful friends."

"Yes. Commander Skywalker, the last Jedi of the galaxy."

"When he comes for me—"

"Does he know where you are?"

Leia looked away.

"You're going to regret keeping me prisoner."

"You are not a prisoner; just a danger to yourself."

She asked again, "Who are you?"

"You don't remember me?"

She said nothing.

The mysterious man smiled again and took a couple steps closer to her bed. "A friend of your father."

Darth Vader popped into the princess's mind. Her heart bounced against her sore ribcage. But then she remembered: no one else in the galaxy knew of her and Luke's secret. Or was she wrong?

"Trying to place me?"

Again she said nothing.

"We've met before." The man paused to let his words sink in. "You were about five-years old, a wee little thing working away in your father's study as if what you were working on was the most important thing in the galaxy." He smiled. "Perhaps it was. Your father was right; you were a brilliant child. And special."

An image of the man, his face not quite clear, his gravelly voice talking low, words floating over her head. Leia relaxed. He was speaking of Bail Organa, her adopted father.

"I see you remember something about me."

"You were no friend of my father."

"You're right. We were political associates, but I like to think of him as a friend."

Leia licked her lips then rested her upper teeth on her lower lip. Something about him was off.

"You, on the other hand, thought I was a threat. I saw it in your eyes, the suspicion…the contempt." He shook his head. "I never understood why. Tell me, did you share your feelings with your father?"

Did she? _I don't like that man._ That was all she said to her father. And he asked her why, Leia couldn't put her uneasy feelings into words; she was only five. How often did this man do business with her father? There was such secrecy. Was he involved with the rebellion?

Leia didn't know all of her father's associates. He traveled a lot for the Senate, and he had a second life filled with secrets, Leia remembered sensing, secrets that weighed heavily on his heart. Bail Organa often sat silent in his office, his peaked hands touching his chin, his dark eyes far away. He didn't always notice when she entered, or at least that's what she believed. She would tip-toe behind her father's chair and climb up the back of it. He was never startled; he would laugh and pull her into his lap. The furrowed brow and peaked fingers would disappear, and his face would be relaxed—all smiles—and his eyes shined with pure love as he tickled her.

As the princess grew older, maybe seven- or eight-years old, her father ceased the tickling and his smile was strained; the love still resided in his eyes, but concern tinged with sadness hovered behind the love. He still held her on his lap, but now he shared his work—but not his secret life—with her, not at this age. Her father was already grooming her for her role in the Senate. He often told her that she was going to make the galaxy a better place; he had such faith in that belief. That was the beginning of the end of her childhood.

Leia held her tears inside and pushed those memories out of her mind.

"The way you looked at me then," the man said, catching her full attention. "I knew there was something special about you. I've kept tabs on you ever since, following your career…and you're betrayal of the Empire over Tatooine. But you betrayed the Empire much earlier than that, didn't you?"

"You're with the Empire," Leia surmised.

"No." The man walked to the side of her bed. "I never had love for that evil government. I once believed in democracy."

"But not anymore."

"You're right," he conceded. "But I did fight for the Alliance a long time ago."

"Then why are you holding me prisoner?"

"Did I say you were my prisoner?"

Her right eyebrow rose and she lifted her restrained hands.

The man clasped his hands behind his back and lifted his chin. "You're right. You're my guest, and the restraints are no way to treat a guest. Besides, I trust you will be no trouble?"

She shook her head "no."

He walked to the right side of her bed, leaned over Leia, and untethered her left hand before she did the right. He then ran his hand down her hair, stopping on a spot behind her ear. He pressed against that spot.

When he removed his hand, Leia touched that place and noticed a bump. It was small and soft to the touch. She pressed on it; it gave a little before returning to its original shape. Unlike the other bumps on her head, this one didn't cause her any pain. It was quite the opposite. She looked into the golden eyes of the man as her brain was flooded with dopamine.

"As I told you, you are very powerful, but I trust you will not turn your power against me."

"Why do you think I'm powerful?"

"The Force…I feel it inside you." The man let his words sink in again. "I felt it in you that day our paths crossed. Yes, you were only a child, but I felt it."

A shiver tickled the nerves in the back of her neck. "I know nothing of the Force."

The man's brow rose. "But you do."

"I only know it through Commander Skywalker. I've seen what he can do."

"Yes, he has become a powerful Jedi. The last Jedi in the galaxy, but he is not the only one who can manipulate the Force."

Leia pressed her lips together and gazed into the man's eyes. A chill rumbled her stomach.

"You're Sith."

"God, no," the man laughed. "Misguided fools."

"But you're not a Jedi."

"No. The Sith and the Jedi live in a black-and-white galaxy, and as you know, Princess, the galaxy is anything but black-and-white. I am a Force Sensitive. I can harness its power, manipulated it, use it for my will."

"For…" she squint her eyes. "For selfish reasons."

"Or for the good of the galaxy, like Commander Skywalker."

"But you choose to use it for your own purpose. You...you don't just use the Light side."

"Very observant. I want to better the galaxy so that _I_ can live in peace. The truth is everyone has selfish motives behind their altruism, Princess." The man's eyes held hers. "Even you."

Leia looked away. "Not Luke."

"Commander Skywalker cause is noble. His quest to revive the Jedi Order is vital."

 _How did he know about Luke's quest?_ Leia's heart sped up, but her countenance remained neutral.

"Your struggling government needs the Jedi to protect the democratic entity that is doomed to fail." He shrugged. "He was told that this path is his destiny. However, Skywalker wanted to become a Jedi like his father; now he wants to right his father's sins."

Leia blankly stared at the man.

"Not aware of whom his father is?"

She shook her head; he leaned in studying her face.

"Not surprised that he wouldn't share this information with one of his closest friends. It _is_ something to be ashamed of." The man took a step back. "His father was Darth Vader."

Leia feigned shock and repulsion. The repulsion was easy; Luke's father was her father. _No, Bail Organa was my true father._

"It was easy to figure out." The man's lips stretched into a smile that repulsed Leia. "Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi's Chosen One. He was supposed to bring balance to the Force, but he discovered the power of the Dark Side, and was trained by a Sith, the Emperor himself. Anakin Skywalker turned against his own kind."

"How do you know Vader's Luke's father?"

" _Skywalker_. Not a very common name. No one changed his last name. It's as if whoever protected and trained him wanted Darth Vader to find him. When Vader discovered that he had a son, Vader stopped at nothing to find him." The man tilted his head. "Everyone knew Senator Padme Amidala was pregnant, though she kept the identity of the father secret. She had been seen with Anakin. She spent most of her free time with him even after he was no longer serving as her bodyguard. And the way Anakin looked at her…Did you know Jedi are forbidden to form relationships?" The man frowned. "Anakin Skywalker broke the Jedi Laws. Perhaps this is why he so easily embraced the Dark Side."

"Luke is nothing like Vader."

"No. He clings to the Light Side of the Force, but he fears becoming like his father."

"That will never happen."

"Maybe." The man shrugged again. "But how can he be the most powerful Jedi without wielding the Dark Side when he wants to?"

"Harnessing the power of the Dark Side corrupts."

He laughed through a closed mouth. "What do you know of the Dark Side and Light Side of the Force? You have no training."

"It corrupted Vader; it corrupted the Emperor."

"Perhaps they were corrupt before?" The man turned away from her and stared out the sole window in the room that was too high for Leia to see out. "No, they were selfish, influenced for selfish reasons." Then he turned to face her. "They desired power, and _that_ is what made them powerful."

"And evil."

"In some beings' opinions." The right corner of his lip pulled up. "There are many who serve the Empire and believe in the Empire. They believe that it takes a strong fist, someone who was willing to do the…dirty work, to bring order to the galaxy. The galaxy was chaotic well before you were born. There were needless wars. The Emperor brought order to the chaos."

"You support the Empire."

The man shook his head. "God, no. They were just as corrupt as the Old Republic. There were beings in both governments that used their positions for personal gain, as there always are."

Leia dropped her head against the pillow; she felt exhausted. "Why are you holding me prisoner?"

"I told you—"

"I'm here against my will."

"You haven't asked to leave."

"I'm asking now."

The man chuckled. "Where would you go? Do you have a ship that will take you back to the Alliance?"

"No. But I need to get back to Chandrila."

"You were badly wounded in the crash," he informed her. "Your spleen and liver were lacerated, your lower ribs cracked, your left femur was broken in two places, and you were bleeding internally. You spent the last two days in a bacta tank. You should've died."

"But I didn't, because of you."

"Yes, I saved your life. That puts you in my debt."

"The Alliance will pay you handsomely if you return me to them."

"I'm sure they will, just like they paid General Solo when he rescued you from the Death Star."

"What do you want from me?" Leia asked.

"I want to teach you to use the Force." The man grabbed her eyes with his. "With your political background, sense of justice, I believe we can establish a government that embodies the positive aspects of the Empire _and_ the Old Republic."

"Why?"

"If I say it was your destiny, would you believe me?"

"No."

The man chuckled again. "Then I won't say that. Commander Skywalker is powerful, but you could become more powerful."

"By using the powers of the Dark Side."

"Not necessarily, but if you must." His lips formed a thin line. "You have a strong sense of justice. I do not think it will corrupt you."

"I have no desire of becoming an Empress."

"I'm not looking for an Empress. I'm looking for someone who can establish a government that will work. You have the love of the people—well, those who don't believe in the Empire. You have been trained for this by your father. You are the galaxy's only hope."

"When the Republic is restored—"

"It will eventually fail whether that happens in our life time or many years after."

"You don't know that."

"It will survive and flourish under if you embrace the Force, and use it to better the galaxy."

"Power corrupts, you said."

"Yes, I've lived long enough to see governments on planets, the Old Republic itself, fail." He shook his head.

"Then it will corrupt me."

"As I said, I am not looking to create an Empress. I want the New Republic to work; I want a fair Senate and a just and merciful government. This can only happen if you and I play a part in the New Republic. Your sense of right and wrong is strong. Chances are that won't change after I train you."

"You can't teach an unwilling pupil."

"I have my methods."

Leia opened her mouth. "You won't break me. Vader couldn't."

"I have no intention of breaking you. You will face hardships during your training, but I don't want to break you. I want you to harness your power, understand why you need to use the Force to bring order to the galaxy."

Leia mulled over the man's ideas in her mind. He wanted what she wanted, but his methods…there was something off about his plan. She gazed into his shaded golden eyes. They were smiling, hopeful, confident. The look in his eyes, Leia felt a twinge of hope.

 _I saved your life. You're in my debt_.

Like Chewbacca was indebted to Han. But that was the Wookie culture… She touched the bump behind her ear. _I owe this man something._

"I don't know your name."

"It is not important." The man fiddled with the IV before turning on his heel. "Heal well, Your Highness. I will visit you soon."

Leia's eyes fluttered closed, and she fell into pleasant dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4:

Luke Skywalker looked down at the shallow box with his name on it. He sensed it had something to with Leia. He picked it up and turned it in his hand before putting it down again. Then he placed his hand on top of the box. It hissed, and the top pulled back on its hinges until it lay flat against the ground. Inside, a holo map appeared. The place the map depicted felt familiar, though Luke knew he had never been there. Where was this place?

Luke frowned; he didn't have time for this. Leia may have been in need of his help. He'd examine the box and the rest of its contents after he knew Leia was safe. Luke began to close the box.

"Stop. Dismiss this box you must not."

Skywalker looked up to see the ghost of Yoda standing several feet away from him.

"I'm not. Leia needs my help."

"A trial she must face."

"She won't face it alone."

"Hm. Learn from past mistakes, you have not. Remember Cloud City."

Luke dropped his head. Before he was a Jedi, he had rushed off in the middle of his training to rescue Han and Leia after he saw a vision of them suffering. Luke failed to save them; Han ended up in the hands of Boba Fett, and Leia ended up saving Luke.

This time he had no visions of Leia suffering this time, just a feeling.

He lifted his head. "But I am a Jedi now."

"He-he. A Jedi you are. And powerful." Yoda punctuated his words by pointing his walking stick at Luke. "But not a Master."

"And who is to train me now? You're dead. Ben's dead," his tone revealed his frustration.

"On the right path, you are. Your search for knowledge of the Jedi Order of the Old Republic, the right path it is."

"And I will continue to follow that path once I know Leia is safe." Luke looked up at the ghost of Yoda. "She's strong in the Force. She's just as important as me. She needs—"

"That," Yoda pointed at Luke with his cane, "is not your motive. Selfish reasons you have. Let your emotions rule your head, you are."

Luke ran his hand through his hair, unable to deny his old Master's accusations.

"Remember the cave. Remember your battle with Darth Vader on the second Death Star. Got the best of you, your emotions did."

"I wasn't a Jedi when I fought Vader in the cave. I…I touched the Dark Side on the second Death Star, but I pulled myself back."

"Attack Vader you did, using the powers of the Dark Side. And why was this?"

 _Leia._ Darth Vader threatened to turn her to the Dark Side. Luke hung his head in shame.

"In the box, answers you will find."

"But I need to help Leia."

"Do not try to contact her through the Force. In danger you will put her."

Yoda leaned forward. "Follow your destiny, you must. The box, answers it has."

Luke looked down at the box. "Where is this place? It's familiar, but I know I've never been there."

"Search your feelings."

Luke placed his hands on the sides of the shallow box and closed his eyes. "It's…it's a map of the Jedi Temple." He looked up at Yoda, his mouth open. "On Coruscant."

"Good. Find it you must."

"But the temple was destroyed years before my time. There's nothing left."

"The underground tunnels, hidden away they are. Even your father did not know they existed. To this day, untouched they are."

"How is that possible?"

"A possible Purge of the Jedi, I foresaw. Happened it did. Before it was too late, prepare for it I did."

Luke studied the map of the tunnels. "What's down there?"

"All that you search for."

"What about Leia? I can't just—"

"A different path, she must take. Like you, trials she must face."

"But she has no one to guide her."

"Contact her, you must not. Danger it will put her in."

With that, Yoda's ghost disappeared. Luke picked up the box to view the map from a different perspective. An ocean of serotonin swept through his brain.

 _Leia._

Luke felt calm, hopeful. Leia was no longer in pain. Was this the future? No, it was how she felt now. Luke closed the box. He was sure that the box was connected to her. She had to be on Coruscant. Perhaps she found her way into the Jedi Temple's. But her mission took her to Diepre. How would she end up on Coruscant? Those two planets were light years away from each other. Luke closed his eyes, but he stopped himself from contacting her. Leia may be well now, but if he contacted her, he could be the one who puts her in peril. Yoda had been right about Cloud City. For now, Luke would heed the Jedi Master's warning.

The Jedi allowed the calm and hope that he sensed in Leia wash over him. She was at peace, but there was still a dark shadow hovering over her that caused the back of his neck to tingle. Leia was okay for the time being, but that shadow…she wasn't out of danger yet.

Holding the box to his chest, Skywalker exited Yoda's abandoned house.

"Artoo," Luke twisted his upper body to address the droid. "Power up the convertors."

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Han Solo growled a few Alderaani curse words that he picked up from Leia. Grand Moff Timian managed to elude him and his troops, and they were now sucked into a battle in the city of Se'lego. He could see no end to this battle any time soon. Perhaps this was his fault. He was distracted by Luke's message. If Leia was in danger, how could he continue here? She was constantly on his mind, making it difficult to do his job.

Han stalked to his tent and shooed out the communications officer. Han started to hail the High Command on Chandrila, but stopped himself. The last time he contacted them, he failed to get any straight answers. General Madine had answered his call. He had assured Han that the princess was their highest priority and they sent out their best men to find her and her team. However, their best men were in the field fighting unending battles. The last time he contacted the High Command, Mon Montha informed Han that they hadn't found Leia yet, but they hadn't given up. Han could tell that they were placating him so that his own mission wouldn't be compromised. He'd get no straight answers from the High Command.

But there was someone who would.

Chewie greeted Han, but Han's expression made the Wookie's tone less cheerful.

"Why aren't you searching for Leia?"

Chewie garruued.

"What? You haven't heard? She's missing, no thanks to you. Why didn't you go on the recognizance mission with her?"

The Wookie raised his voice.

"You went to Ord Mantel for weapons?"

Chewie brayed.

"I told you to stay with her."

Chewbacca haaangarded.

"How could you not know she's missing?"

Chewie defended himself.

"Of course, they wouldn't tell you. They probably sent you on that mission so that you wouldn't know."

The Wookie growled and grumbled.

"Leia sent you on that mission?" Han's voice rose. "And you listened to her? If you haven't noticed, you're much bigger than her."

Han's best friend guurowed.

"I don't care that you didn't fit in an X-wing. You could've taken the _Falcon_. And don't tell me it's too well known."

Chewie crossed his arms over his chest.

Han ran his hand through his hair. "She's too stubborn for her own good," he said. "Luke is probably on his way to Diepre. Find him. And find Leia. I'm gonna try to get someone to relieve me here."

Solo slammed the comm off and leaned back in his chair. Had he not officially joined the Rebellion, he would have to answer to no one. He could be looking for Leia now. General Reikken then popped into his mind. He flipped on the comm.

"General Solo," Reikken said. "What can I do for you?"

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Princess Leia lay motionless in her bed. She tried to lift her arm to disconnect the IV connected to the crook of her elbow, but she could only lift her fingers off of the bed. Her hands were no longer restrained, but she was being restrained by the drugs that were being pumped into her. Her frustration and anger inspired by her captor—for that was what the man was no matter what he said—grew by the minute.

"Your Highness." The man walked into her room wearing a pleasant smile. "How are you feeling today?"

When she saw the strange man, she calmed down, and her anger eased into something resembling hope.

"Are you comfortable?"

She looked at the IV bag hanging next to her. What was it that she was upset about?

It leaked into her mind as slow as molasses. "The IV…what are you giving me?"

"Nothing that's not going to make you better. Remember, you were badly hurt when your X-wing crashed."

 _Crashed?_

"You were fortunate that my guards found you. The swamp could've swallowed you up before anyone knew you were there."

"You…you were there. You killed…"

 _Who did he kill?_

"No, I wasn't there, and I killed no one."

"My team…"

"Unfortunately, no one survived."

Leia was silent as she mulled over his words.

"I save you."

That much was true.

"Are you up for a conversation? I have so much to share with you."

 _No._ "Yes."

"I want to talk to you about government."

"The New Republic…is being…established. Elections should…take place…in a year."

"Is it difficult for you to talk?"

Leia nodded her head.

"Then all you have to do is listen."

"I will."

Leia's eyelids grew heavy, and she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. However, her listening skills were not affected by whatever drugs the man was giving her. The man's voice was soothing as he spoke of a government with little conflict. He described the success that he had accomplished on Diepre, and Leia realized that he was the president or chancellor of this planet. _What does he want from me?_

But that thought faded as the man told her of the collective farms that were established under the parliament. She could see the farms, the people—or the Produce Collection—that made Diepre independent from the need to import food. A young child came up to her, and grabbed her hand. It was warm and calloused. His smile beamed as he led her through the vast farms and the people working them.

"No one goes hungry here."

Next Leia was transported to the factories during midday. With the child as her guide, she entered an empty factory. She didn't know what they produced, but the boy called the workers, the Production Collective.

"The workers are taking their midday break," said the boy. "They have a long lunch with their families and time to rest."

Then Leia found herself in a large city free of pollution. She and the boy strolled down the streets lined with cookie-cutter houses. The boy led her to one house in particular.

"My house."

They looked into a window. The house was modest but spacious. The child took her hand and led her into the house. There, his mother was baking something that smelled like Leia's favorite treat as a child, but she couldn't remember what that treat was. The boy's mother greeted Leia in a language she didn't understand and waved a hand to the boy.

The boy took Leia's hand and led her down a large hallway. They stopped at the end of the hall.

He held out his hand in presentation. "My room."

An accurate depiction of the galaxy decorated the ceiling, and pictures of various worlds lined the walls. She picked up his data pad and pressed the history icon. He had delved into educational sites and a few games. His toys were a throwback to Leia's own childhood, and he had to grab her hand to pull her out of the room.

With no sense how she got there, Leia found herself in a school. She and the boy walked down the halls, peeking into the open doors.

"All children go to school. They have access to the most cutting edge tools of education."

The princess opened her eyes when she heard the man speak.

"No one goes hungry, no one goes uneducated, not even the children of the Produce Collection."

"How is…that possible?"

"Our government. The parliament is very efficient, and they take care of the people instead of indulging in their own selfish desires."

"There has to be some corruption."

"Not here. I was able to eliminate it."

"How?"

"Through the Force."

"The Force?"

"I am able to read thoughts, which allows me to weed out the corruption. I am able to…guide my parliament and people to make the right choices."

"Mind control?"

"No, just a little nudging on my part," the man said. "You have this power, too. I will teach you to use it."

A bug-like crawling weaved through her brain. _This is not right._ But she toured Diepre; she saw it with her own eyes. Didn't she? A peaceful existence among all, even races that hated each other on other worlds. Utopia, but Utopia was unattainable. Right?

But if the galaxy could be at peace…it is what her father dreamed of, what she and the rebels fought for. And if she had the power to better things...

"All you have to do is trust me. Do you trust me?"

"Yes."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5:

Princess Leia Organa looked upon the man who she had met as a child but knew nothing about with admiration and trust. He smiled down at her as he took her hand.

"Good. You must trust me wholeheartedly. What you must go through, it will be the most trying and difficult thing that you have ever gone through. It'll take all of your strength to endure these trials. These hardships are necessary for your training. Through it all, you must trust that I have your best interests in mind; that I do deeply care about you. Only together can we bring peace to the galaxy." The man's golden eyes penetrated hers. "You want to fulfill your father's dream—your dream—of creating a just government and bringing peace to the galaxy, right?"

"More than anything."

"This is your destiny."

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General Han Solo bent over the holo map as he explained to General Carlist Reikken his strategy for defeating the Imperials in Se'lego on Ganga. Han listened to Reikken's thoughts and suggestions, nodding at times. General Reikken's suggestions were militaristic, disciplined compared to Han's untrained and risky strategies. But the Alliance had chosen Han for this mission—for all the missions he was chosen for—because of his knack for surprise and reckless ideas.

However, Leia's well-being was all he could think about, and until he knew that she was safe and sound, Han was more of a liability to the Alliance than an asset. And the Alliance knew it too. Han was more than vexed that the High Command kept Leia's disappearance over Diepre from him. There were more than a few members of the High Command that Han wanted to punch in the face. But he was a general, and the rules of his life had changed. Fortunately, General Reikken was able to convince the High Command that Han was battle weary and needed to take a leave of absence. After all, Han was not a military man and concessions had to be made. Only after Reikken volunteered to take over for Solo did the High Command give in to Reikken's requests.

"General, I can't thank you enough for this," Han said after he and Reikken finished reviewing strategy.

Solo shook the general's hand.

"Just find her."

"I will."

Han exited the command center tent and headed to the small shuttle that was retrofitted with weapons. His handpicked team for Leia's and her team's rescue were already about Shuttle Tyrian. Although these men and woman had the reputation of being difficult from the Alliance's military-perspective, Han picked them for their ability to think outside of the box and their willingness to question orders. Han's head wasn't clear, and he needed the best outside eyes to make sure his emotions didn't cloud his judgment.

Four of the six men and women—Ali, Reg, Janko, and Kreen—sat around cleaning their weapons and preparing their gear.

"Ali, find out all that you can about Diepre." Han said.

Ali put her blaster down, walked over to the computer, and sat down. She began typing on the keyboard and tapping the screen.

"Cameron and Darren are preparing the shuttle for take-off."

"Good."

Han headed to the cockpit.

"Darren, did you get the coordinates where the princess team was last pinpointed from General Reikken?"

"Yes, sir."

Han cringed, but didn't say anything about being called "sir."

Cameron got up and abandoned the pilot's seat. Han took her place. Although Cameron was an outstanding pilot valued by the Alliance, Han would take over her duties. He needed something to keep him distracted from thinking of Leia.

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Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi, docked his X-wing in a hangar closest to where the Jedi Temple once stood. He decided to leave Artoo with his ship; Luke expected the terrain of the tunnels to be difficult for the squat droid to navigate. He pulled the hood of his dark cape over his head and went in search of the hidden entrance. The entrance was clear on the map, but the buildings that now stood in the place where the Jedi Temple once stood, had been constructed, deconstructed, and constructed many times over the twenty-five-plus years. The map was old—Old Republic age—and didn't depict these changes. On top of that, Luke had never been on Coruscant before, let alone had ever seen a picture of the Temple when it stood.

He took a calming breath. Despite Leia's calm aura in the Force, Luke couldn't dismiss the shadow he sensed that hovered over her. If she was here, that meant someone who may or may not be an enemy also knew of the tunnels with hidden Jedi knowledge existed—and knew how to get to them. There were many tunnels and rooms under the place where the Jedi Temple once existed, and his hope of finding Leia shrank. Remembering Yoda's words, Luke resisted the urge to reach out to her. He would have to focus on the shadow around her to find her.

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"General, the atmosphere of Diepre is too opaque and the foliage too thick for an X-wing's sensors to pick up any signs of Imperial activity from this distance," Cameron said.

Han pressed his lips together. "They would've had to fly low. Ali, what information about Diepre did you find?"

"It's mostly swamps and marshes. Pockets of inhabitants. More than a few predators we'll have to watch out for. It's not going to be easy to find them."

"Nothin' ever is," Han muttered.

"Entering the area the Black Team was last pinpointed."

The fog in the atmosphere became denser, too dense for even a swamp. It interfered with the sensors. Han hit the side of the sensor console just in case it was the ship's malfunction. The abuse did no good.

"Something's not right here."

"Try contacting the team," Han said

Darren went to work. He fiddled with the dials as he held a headset to his ear. "Black Leader from _Shuttle Tyrian_. Come in." He repeated himself several times between intervals of silence. He looked up Solo.

"I'm only picking up static."

"Are you picking up any emergency beacons, Ali?" Han asked.

Emergency beacons had a stronger range than the ship's communication system. The X-wings were equipped with emergency beacons that automatically triggered in a crash _(please don't have crashed)_ and had to be shut off manually by the pilot. The beacons should be strong enough to penetrate the atmosphere.

"I'm picking up nothing."

Han pulled at his chin.

"That may be a good sign. Either they landed safely or shut them off to keep themselves hidden."

That meant if did Leia crash her X-wing, she was okay enough to disable the beacon. However, that meant Leia there was someone or something Leia wanted to hide from.

"General," Cameron said. "I'm picking up an electrical interference in this area."

Han pressed his lips together. The electrical interference could be hiding the beacons' calls. The crews' eyes widened as a blue electrical current slammed against the _Falcon's_ shields.

"Pull up!"

The ship arced over the fog and headed in the opposite direction.

"What was that?"

"Lightning?"

"Lightning usually strikes the ground, not the sky."

Han was silent for a moment. "It's manmade, a defense mechanism."

"Imperial?"

"Possibly. I've never heard of them havin' this type of technology, but then they did build two Death Stars."

"The electrical currents could've struck the X-wings," Cameron said before biting his lip.

Han's co-pilot stole a side-glance of him to find his commander sitting stone-faced, his eyes focused on the fog outside the cockpit.

"That doesn't necessarily mean they crashed."

Cameron was right; Leia piloted an X-wing as if she were born in the cockpit. Perhaps a one of the members of the Black Squadron went down. Leia would've gone after her comrade. She wouldn't activate the distress signal if she thought it could be picked up by Imperials.

Han rubbed his chin. Those electrical currents could have interfered with the controls of their X-wings. Most likely they went down. An image of a broken Leia lying unconscious and hurt in this hellish place flashed in his mind.

Han had to focus on the task at hand. "If they crashed the homing beacons are the only thing we can rely on to help us find them."

"You're assuming that they crashed?"

"I don't know. I just know that we're not gonna find out anything from up here. We have to assume the electrical interference is manmade. They can't extend over the whole planet. Cameron, find coordinates outside the interference."

"That could be miles outside the area of the crash site," Ali said.

"Do you have a better plan?"

Ali and the rest of the crew said nothing.

"We're not leaving until we find the Black Team," Han rose from the pilot's seat.

 _Or until we find out what happened to them."_

Cameron took over the pilot's seat as Han exited the cockpit.

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Princess Leia opened her eyes and quickly shut them when they caught the light beaming down from the ceiling. Her thoughts still flowed slowly, and she felt heavy and half-asleep. She was lying on her back but what she lay upon was hard and cold. Leia put her arm over her closed eyes; she was no longer hooked up to an IV. Despite her lethargy, her body lacked any pain and she assumed she had recovered from her injuries. That meant that she could try to escape. Leia would have to figure out where she was and find an open door or window, find her way through a swamp, and obtain a ship.

The princess frowned. Her odds of escaping were slim, but she did manage to get out of situations as tough as this. She escaped Jabba's palace.

But with Luke's help. And the Death Star...she would've never have gotten out of her cell if it weren't for Han and Luke.

Leia admonished herself. She had escaped trouble on her own over the years she spent underground with the Rebellion. And there were countless times she rescued Han and Luke. There was no reason that she couldn't rescue herself.

But did she want to escape?

The man, whoever he was, had been kind to her, had saved her life. He had treated her well since he found her—

 _He killed Prog._

But the man said Prog had no chance of survival, that his wounds were fatal. He did Prog a favor. This man was kind; it was an act of kindness. When she awoke in the hospital, Leia felt a warmth flow from the man to her; his heart was definitely good. She could feel this. Leia felt safe with him.

Leia opened her eyes. The white sleeve covering her arm softened the assault of the overhead light. She sat up and pulled her arm away from her eyes. She watched the bell-shaped opening of her sleeve slide down her arm. Her eyes then traveled down her chest and stopped at her lap. Leia spread out her legs and grabbed the sides of the long skirt; her heart stepped up its pace. Her fingers found the high collar covering her neck. She pulled at it in an attempt to loosen it. Leia then reached up to her ears and found that they were covered by her hair. She ran her fingers along the coils that formed two perfectly-shaped buns on each side of her head. This time it was her respiration that stepped up its pace.

Leia dropped her hands and glanced around her. The black walls of the room were smooth, oppressive, and inspired claustrophobia. There was one door that blended in to the walls. She froze when her large brown eyes fell upon the inactive droid in the corner of the room—an interrogator droid.

 _This can't be real…_


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6:

Once they couldn't detect any electrical interference, Cameron and Darren guided _Shuttle Tyrian_ through the thick atmosphere until they found a tight clearing in the swamp. The clearing was several clicks outside of the electrical field and eleven clicks from the coordinates General Reikken had given to Darren. Because this was an impromptu rescue, the shuttle didn't carry any equipment purposed for a swampy environment. It had two hovercrafts and eight speeder bikes built to tolerate the arid climate of Ganga. The humidity of the swamp would interfere with the cobousters in the hovercrafts, possibly disabling them, and the thick cluster of trees would limit their ability to maneuver. However, the bikes were hardier and could map out a path wide enough for the hovercrafts so they could take the crafts as far in as possible.

Han Solo rubbed the side of his index finger across his chin. Eleven clicks from the coordinates where the Black Team was last pinpointed wasn't that far. However, the density of the swamp would slow their search, wasting time Leia may not have. If only he knew exactly where she was.

Han slipped on the head set to the comm system. He punched in the comm code of Luke's X-wing. No answer. Han bit his lower lip and tried the code of Luke's commlink.

"Luke. Come in." He waited and hailed Luke again.

Nothing. Luke should be on Diepre by now; Dagobath was much closer to the planet than Ganga. Why hadn't Luke contacted Han already? Could he have gotten caught in the electrical interference and crashed? No. Luke was a Jedi; surely, he would've sensed it before he came across it. Still…

Han tried Luke again to no avail. He lifted his finger off of the comm button. The swamp could be interfering with the comm system. Reikken did say that that was why the Alliance was having difficulty contacting the Black Team. With any luck, Luke found Leia and her team alive and well, and they were just finding their way out of the swamp. If any of them were injured— _please don't let Leia be injured—_ their progress would be slow. If Luke left straight from Dagobath, he would have traveled in his X-wing. He couldn't transport Leia and her team off of Diepre by himself. They would have to find alternative transportation.

Or they all could have been captured by Imperials.

Han mumbled an Alderaani curse under his breath.

"General?"

Solo reached out to Chewbacca. The Wookie's growls came through the static.

"Are you on Diepre?"

Chewie grumbled.

"What?"

Chewie repeated himself.

"You haven't reached Diepre yet?"

Chewbacca gurrawfed and cawed.

"Damn _Falcon_. Did you fix it?"

The Wookie rrrayyed.

"Good. Have you heard from Luke?"

Static muffled Chewie's words.

"Repeat that." Han leaned in and listened. "No word from Luke. Keep trying to reach him."

Chewie gurred.

"I said, keep trying to reach him."

Chewbacca rawreed.

"We're on Diepre, but we had to land eleven clicks outside of their last known whereabouts. We've picked up no signs of the Black Squad, but the _Falcon's_ sensors are stronger than this ship's. And hey Chewie, there's an electrical interference hovering over that area. Make sure you steer clear of it the moment the sensors pick it up. It's powerful."

Chewie bbuurrawffed.

"Just get here as soon as you can."

Chewie grunnawed.

"I'm always careful. See you soon." _Hopefully._

Han sat back in the pilot's seat staring at the comm system. Chewie and Luke were not going to be any help to him. He was alone.

Ali put a hand on Solo's shoulder. "General, we'll find them alive and well."

 _Or find their bodies._ Leia could be dead. But Luke would've sensed that. Luke only talked of a shadow surrounding her, but he said he felt her. If only he could get in touch with Luke.

Han ran his hand through his hair and looked up at Ali. "Let's get the team together."

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Luke Skywalker gained access to the tunnels of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant through a forgotten drainage pipe. He followed the tunnels down until the stone walls gave way to Alderaani marble. His boots clicked and clacked against the floor. His footfalls echoed, their volume as loud as his original steps; he felt as if he was disturbing hallow ground and the ghost that still lurked in these halls.

Luke closed his eyes and regulated his breath. He senses picked up the dark shadow but not Leia's presence in the Force. That shadow could be blocking her aura. If so, she was in more danger than Luke originally thought. But the last thing he sensed from her was feelings of calmness and safety. Could Luke have been mistaken? Tricked by the dark shadow that hovered over her? He followed the shadow through the twisting tunnels. They seemed to never end, and his anxiety was building.

 _Anger, fear, aggression. The Dark Side are they._

Luke squeezed his hands into fists as he pushed down his anxiety. He focused all of his attention on the shadow he followed. When he found himself surrounded by the dark feeling, he stopped and opened his eyes. Skywalker found himself standing in a small round room. The pattern on the marble floor reminded Luke of the holochest table on the _Millennium Falcon._ The room was empty except for a square table standing in the center of the checkered floor. He walked over to the table.

There was a rectangular indentation in the center of the table. Luke put down his satchel and retrieved the box he found in Yoda's home. He placed it on the table and opened it; it fit perfectly in the indentation. A hologram of a woman dressed in Jedi robes rose from the box. Her mouth was moving but there was no sound. Without warning, the room rotated. Luke grabbed onto the table, and his mouth dropped open as words appeared on the circular wall. The room came to a stop.

"The Jedi Code." His voice was louder than he expected.

Luke was unfamiliar with the entire Jedi Code; his training was rushed, and Yoda only imparted what was the most important knowledge to Luke so that he could fulfill his destiny and face Darth Vader. He took slow steps as his blue eyes took in the words on the wall.

 _There is no emotion, there is peace._

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony._

 _There is no death, there is the Force. *_ Wookipedia

Luke frowned. He was not emotionless; his emotions had driven him to turn his father to the Light Side. His emotions led him here to find Leia.

Luke was ignorant, but he was searching for knowledge. It took a lifetime to acquire knowledge.

Although his passion had been tamed by his training with Yoda, Luke's passion for righting the wrongs of his father still burned inside him.

At the moment, with Leia possibly in danger, Luke did not feel harmonious.

No death…just the Force…if Leia died, she would become one with the Force. However, because of what Luke felt for Leia, he would find no peace in her death.

He was already failing.

Luke read the words on the wall again, this time out loud. He stepped back as a rectangular door crunched open. The hologram of the Jedi woman faded. Luke picked up his box, closed it, and dunked under the marble door. The wall was thick and created a short corridor that led into a triangular room. He stopped at the opening.

A hologram—life-like and clear—played out before his eyes. Luke felt a slash of pain in his heart as a blue lightsaber slashed children to death. Once the last child fell, the hooded lightsaber wielder turned his head in Luke's direction. His yellow eyes penetrated Luke's. Skywalker stumbled back.

 _Father…_

Luke's stomach clenched. He bent over, held himself up with one hand on the wall, and vomited. Despite feeling lightheaded and dizzy, he stood up straight but left his hand on the wall because he did not trust his legs. He looked up. The hologram of his father stalked toward him before disappearing.

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Han's rescue team gathered in the common room. Solo stood akimbo as he addressed his team.

"We'll get the hovercrafts in as far as we can, and search the area using the speeder bikes. Darren and I will take the hovercrafts. Reg will stay with the Shuttle." He turned to Reg. "Keep trying to contact Commander Skywalker." Then he turned his attention back to the remaining men and women. "The rest of you will use the speeder bikes to search for them. We're about eleven clicks away from where the Black Squad was last known to be. And there's a lot of area that needs to be covered."

"The search could take days," Kreen said.

Han pressed his lips together. "Let's hope we're lucky."

"Will our commlinks links be active?"

"Our commlinks should work because the fog isn't as dense at ground level," Ali said.

"You know for certain?" Kreen asked.

"When we landed, the sensors picked up pockets of thick fog, but it's not consistent. If you get stuck in a patch you'll probably have to find a clearer place to use your commlinks."

"I boosted the range of the speeders' comms," Reg said, "as well as the hovercrafts'."

"Okay," Han said. "We'll spread out in an arc. Keep in contact and don't forget to stay low."

"Yes, sir."

Han cringed but ignored the "sir."

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Princess Leia's heart raced as her large brown eyes roved over the black walls of the room. She couldn't be in a cell on the Death Star; the Alliance had destroyed it…after it destroyed her home planet, Alderaan. But here she was, in the same cell she sat in several years ago, and she was dressed in an exact copy of the dress she wore when captured by Darth Vader. Even her hair was styled the coiled buns she wore back then. It was as if the last three years never happened, as if she traveled back in time.

Impossible. Leia pressed her lips together. Whoever built this room wanted her to believe she was back on the Death Star. Still, it incited the same fear she felt when she was Darth Vader's and Grand Moff Tarkin's prisoner. Her fear had to be what the architect of the room wanted.

Or it all could be a hallucination. Leia didn't know what drugs had been pumped into her. Maybe she was trapped in her own mind. Her eyes fell upon the inactive interrogator droid in the far corner. It was just as menacing as when she first saw it as it followed Vader into her cell three years ago. Perspiration collected around Leia's hairline. It couldn't be real. It _had_ to be a hallucination. But it looked real, felt real.

The princess's chest tightened. The droid was inactive. It couldn't hurt her…unless someone brought it to life. She looked away from it and gripped the edge of the pallet she sat on; her knuckles turned white. It had to be a hallucination. And if it was a hallucination, it wasn't real. Leia licked her lips. She had to prove to herself that this cell existed only in her mind; that meant she had to fight her fear and take action to break the hallucination. She stared at the droid for a few more minutes before she stood. The princess took shaky steps toward the droid, her eyes focused on the long needle that protruded from the droid's arm. She stopped in front of it and held up her hand. She took a deep breath and pressed her hand against the needle.

"Aw!"

Leia pulled her hand away and backed herself into the wall across from the droid. She slid down the cold wall, holding her pricked hand in the other. She watched her blood emerge in droplets in the middle of her palm and slide into the previous one; they formed a crooked path down her skin. The blood dripped onto her white dress.

This was no hallucination.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7:

Luke Skywalker dropped his hand from the wall and took tentative steps into the triangular room. The walls came to life, projecting views of Coruscant in the daytime. If Luke didn't know better, he would think he was above ground standing in the serene room. Luke hadn't been to Coruscant that often, but he was able to notice the landscape of the projections was different and it lacked the air pollution that clouded Coruscant today. In the center of the room, a round step of permacrete about two feet high rose from the floor. Luke walked over to it and placed his box upon it. Taking a deep breath, he opened the box.

Another Jedi—a Master, Luke assumed—appeared. The figure, dressed in traditional Jedi robes, reached up and pulled back his hood. He was a Kiffer with dark skin and long black dreads. He stood least a foot taller than Luke. This Master nodded to Luke who returned the jester.

The Kiffer spoke, "All life is sacred. You must have compassion for all sentient and non-sentient beings."

Next to the Jedi, on the marble floor appeared Anakin Skywalker. He held two crossed lightsabers at the neck of a gray-haired man. The man's mouth was open, his lips pulled back in fear. His wide eyes begged for mercy.

"Do it," a bodiless voice ordered.

Anakin stared into the man's eyes; his face was contorted as if he fought a battle between vengeance and mercy within himself. Then with a sharp jerk, Anakin spread his arms and the man's head rolled to the floor. Anakin turned his head and looked at Luke.

The image of his father faded.

The Jedi Kiffer's voice broke the silence. "A Master must not train more than one pawdawan at a time, for his or her full attention is required for such a sacred appointment. But most importantly," the Kiffer pointed his finger at Luke in an accusatory fashion, "It is forbidden for a Jedi to form attachments. Romantic love, individual bonds, attachment to family, all forbidden. When this law is broken, the consequences are disastrous."

To the right of the Jedi Master, a group of tents in an arid desert came to life. The twin suns were setting behind the village. _Tatooine_. The village belonged to a tribe of Tusken Raiders. Then Luke's father appeared, his hair cropped short and his face conveyed an anger that gave Luke a chill. Anakin looked around and slipped into one of the tents.

The Kiffer waved his hand to Luke. Luke followed his father into the tent. He watched Anakin rush to the side of a woman who was tied to an A-shaped frame.

"My grandmother," Luke breathed.

Anakin untied his mother, and she fell into her arms. They spoke to each other, but Luke couldn't hear what was said. His grandmother's strength left her, and she died in Anakin's arms. Anakin's brow lowered and his bottom lip trembled. Luke's breath caught in his throat at the sight of such hate in his father's eyes. He had never seen such strong hate before. But then, his father's eyes had always been hidden behind Darth Vader's black-orbed mask. Luke's only glimpse into his father's eyes was after he turned to the Light Side. Then his father projected a great love from his watery blue eyes.

Anakin Skywalker laid his mother down with care, and he garnished his lightsaber. He stepped out of the tent's front door and cut down the two Raiders guarding the tent. Luke followed the ghost of his father. Anakin's blade slashed and swished and sliced through all the members of the Raiders' tribe—even the women and children were shown no mercy.

Luke grabbed his ears as the cries of the Tusken Raiders assaulted him. He couldn't take his eyes off of his father as he stormed over to his speeder bike and mounted it. Anakin looked back over his shoulder and, once again, he stared into Luke's eyes before he faded away.

The Kiffer Jedi Master was no longer there, and Luke found himself alone in the triangular couldn't go forward so he turned back to where he came from. But the door he entered through was gone. Even the holograms of Coruscant's skyline had disappeared. The room was lit from an invisible light-source that came from the floor. Skywalker walked to the center of the room and picked up his box. However, his hands were trembling and the wooden box fell to the ground, shattering.

Luke crouched down to collect the shards. He started to pick up the pieces, but then he saw them: partially-faded pictures printed on flimsies. Photo flimsies were a technique of an older time; photos were holograms or digital these days.

Luke, however, did own one flimsy photo. He pulled the photo flimsy out of his pocket; it pictured him, Leia, and Han on the _Falcon_. Luke had discovered R2-D2's ability to take photo flimsies, and he put the droid to work. There were only a few flimsies left, and they had used them all up.

Skywalker put his photo flimsy back into his pocket and picked up the flimsies that had been hidden in the box. The first picture depicted a girl with long dark, wavy hair and brown eyes. She resembled Leia. The woman was laughing. In the next photo she was hiding her face, but her smile and one eye peeked between her fingers. The next was an image of his father—he must've been in his late teens—with his arm wrapped around the girl's shoulders'. He looked at the girl, his eyes hooded, as if he was about to move in to kiss her. Another one showed the pair mugging for the camera, and the following one showed them looking into each other's eyes as if time had stopped.

Luke put down the pile down as he stared at the last one. It was his father and the woman— _Luke's mother._ His mother was dressed in a beautiful lace dress while his father wore all black. Luke held the flimsy closer to his eyes. Was that C-3PO?

He flipped the flimsies over and studied the markings on the back of them. Then he took his photo of him, Leia, and Han out of his pocket again, flipping it over. His eyes widened; the markings were the same.

"Artoo took these flimsies," Luke's voice bounced off of the walls.

Luke stacked his photo with those of his parents and put them inside his pocket. Artoo and Threepio must've belonged to his father. How did they end up as the Alliance's possession? Then a thought came to him; Artoo may hold more information about Luke's parents.

Luke started to collect the rest of the shards of the wooden box when he discovered a couple more pictures. They were photos of his parents, this time his mother's belly was swollen. These were taken from above—by a security camera no doubt. Luke's parents looked at each other with love, but both were worried about something.

 _Romantic love, individual bonds, attachment to family, all forbidden. When this law is broken, the consequences are disastrous._

Luke sat on his haunches as he stared at the pictures taken by the security camera. Who was watching them? Were they caught by accident? Or did someone intend to exploit their relationship?

A holovid sprung from one of the shards of the box that had fallen a couple of feet in front of Luke. It was that of an older man sitting with his father in a large, dark arena. Anakin was telling the older man about a dream he had of Padme _(Padme, that's my mother's name)_ dying in childbirth. Luke recognized they old man's eyes; they belonged to the Emperor. This man—Chancellor Palpatine, Luke remembered—then spoke of a Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who had the power to create life.

"He could even keep the ones he loved from dying."

Ice crystals encrusted Luke's spine. Did Anakin Skywalker turn to the Dark Side out of love?

That holovids faded, and molten rock and lava surrounded; the heat was oppressive. Luke watched Anakin rush over to a ship. The ramp lowered, and Padme came running into his arms.

"All I want is your love," Padme said.

"Love won't save you. Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost? You're a good person. Don't do this."

"I won't lose you like I lost my mother. I'm becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of. And I'm doing it to protect you."

The sound cut out but Luke could see the conversation continued. Padme let him go and backed away from him. Her eyebrows formed peaks as she continued to speak to Anakin. Then Obi Wan appeared at the top of the ramp of the ship. Anakin's chin dropped and his brow lowered. Padme looked between the two men. Then Anakin held up his hand; Padme's hands went to her neck. Obi Wan yelled something, and Anakin opened his hand. Padme fell to the ground unconscious.

Tears streamed down Luke's cheeks, landing with a hiss as they hit the hot ground. Luke held himself up by his arms, ignoring the burning sensation in his hands. It was his father's love for his mother that turned Anakin to the Dark Side, his romantic love and attachment to an individual, his attachment to a family yet to be born.

Luke sucked in a deep breath and let all his emotions run their course. He wished that he had never come to the forgotten tunnels of the Jedi Temple; he wished he never learned of his father's evil deeds. Why had he come here?

For Leia.

The thought of her allowed him to control of his respiration. Luke pushed himself to his feet, and the holovid faded. A door had opened across from him, and the dark shadow that he felt around Leia wafted into the room.

 _Leia._

Luke hesitated. Would saving her, _his attachment to her_ , turn him like it did his father? Was all that he learned in these tunnels a warning?

 _A different path, she must take. Like you, trials she must face._

The dark shadow entered his mind, and his fears for Leia crept into his heart. Luke was treading in dangerous waters. He closed his eyes and reigned in his fear; he had come this far. He could not leave Leia to suffer. Luke only had to keep his emotions in check.

Luke put his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber and stormed through the door. The square room was illuminated by harsh overhead light and the walls and floor were smooth and black. Leia was not there.

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Princess Leia tried to keep track of the passing time, but her captor made it difficult to do so. Neither the man nor his military guards had entered her cell since she had been in there. Her meals were pushed through a slat in the wall and came at varying intervals; those trays contained the same bland food she was served on the Death Star. She had to keep reminding herself that she was not on the Death Star, that she was not Darth Vader's prisoner. Luke, Chewie, and Han had rescued her. They fought against the Empire; their greatest victory was the destruction of second Death Star and the death of the Emperor. That was what was real. She had to hang on to that.

 _Or was that all an illusion her mind built to withstand Vader's torture?_

Leia shivered as she sat on the pallet with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her fear hadn't dissipated despite the amount of time she had spent in this cell. The antiseptic stench assaulted her nostrils; the oppressive respiration of Darth Vader invaded her sleep. And then there were the nightmares, those images of the torture she endured at his hands—her _father's_ hands. Did Vader know that he was torturing his own flesh and blood? Would he have tortured her if he knew?

Leia still feared and loathed her biological father despite the fact that he was dead. Vader knew he was Luke's father; that didn't stop him from fighting Luke or cutting her brother's hand off. The Sith Lord still brought Luke to the Emperor. There was no reason to think Vader would have treated Leia any different than he had if he knew of her existence.

Why didn't Darth Vader recognize that she was his daughter when he was torturing her?

Leia pushed that question out of her mind. The last thing she needed was to occupy her solitary time in this cell trying to figure out the inner workings of Vader's twisted mind. His presence in her thoughts and in her sleep was torture enough—and it physically tortured her, igniting chest pains, stomach aches, and restlessness.

 _Our father denounced the Dark Side, Leia,_ Luke had told her when he returned to the Ewok village. _He saved my life._

Leia shivered. _Our father_. She couldn't fathom the idea that Darth Vader would change his dark heart.

 _He saved my life._

Was saving Luke's life enough to erase that monster's sins?

Leia rubbed at the knotted muscles in her shoulders; how much more of this could she stand? The man who held her captive had yet to make an appearance. Where was he? Why was he doing this to her?

Leia closed her eyes and conjured up an image of the man who claimed to be her father's—Bail Organa, not Darth Vader—friend. The man appeared in her head with his golden eyes and his blonde flowing hair, wearing the dragon armor he wore when he found her in her crashed X-wing. They had crossed paths when she was a youngling. Leia tried to picture him as the man was when she was a little girl at her father's side.

 _The man wore his hair pulled back in a knot close to the nape of his neck and an army green tunic cinched at his waist by a brown belt. His pants and boots were most vivid in her mind, perhaps because she came up to his waist at the time. His pants were a deep brown. A stripe that matched the color of his tunic ran down his leg and into his boot like the blood stripe of Han's pants. The man's boots stuck out the most in Leia's mind. They were a dark brown, the color of Derearie's chocolates, and she could see her reflection in their polished surface. Little Leia imagined that the man's attire was a military uniform of sorts—from where, she didn't know. Alderaan didn't have any military forces of its own, only national guards._

The princess couldn't remember where this man was from. She was certain her father told her when he introduced the man to her—and told her his name as well. Her brow furrowed; why couldn't she remember his name?

Leia sighed.

 _When the man made his appearance in her father's office, her father didn't shoo her out. After introductions, Leia returned to her desk situated across from her father's desk. She pretended to return to her "important senator work," head bent in concentration, but she kept her large brown eyes raised to watch her father and the man. They spoke in Swafi, a language with harsh guttural consonants that she was still trying to master with her tutor, so most of their conversation went over her head. Their tone took on a serious note, and Leia's pen froze. She rolled her lips between her teeth. The man's golden eyes flicked her way. She held his gaze for a moment before returning to her pretend work. The men's tone lightened, and by the way her father laughed, Leia figured this man made a joke. She looked up and noticed both were staring at her. She narrowed her large brown eye on them, but they had already returned their attention to each other. Then the man rose to leave. Her father had smiled at him—a genuine smile, not the one he used when he was being a senator—and put arm around the man's shoulder._

" _The Admiral's leaving, Princess. Say good-bye."_

 _Leia's lips puckered into a pout as she crossed the room. She took the man's extended hand and shook it but refused to speak to him._

 _Admiral._ The man was an admiral, but in what navy?

Leia chewed on the cuticle of her thumb as she tried to remember his name. She abruptly stopped and pulled her hand away from her mouth. She looked at her thumb glistening with her saliva; her father broke her of that habit by the time she was seven.

 _Your actions convey more than your words,_ he had told her as he drew her hand away from her mouth.

The princess slid her hands down her face, hugged her legs to her body, and rested her chin on her knees. Her eyes couldn't help but fall onto the inactive interrogator droid in the corner of her cell. She shivered. How is it possible that the droid still managed to tighten her chest after she had been trapped in this room with it for so long?

Leia rolled her lips between her teeth and lowered her brow. She was being ridiculous. She survived an assault from an interrogator droid before, and while painful, she stayed strong and revealed nothing. And the droid was inactive; it hadn't come to life once since she had been locked in this cell.

The snake of discomfort that wrapped around her lungs uncoiled; anxiety morphed into something else: anger. The Empire was on the run; she held no vital information. She didn't know where the next attack would be, and although she had her hand in the formation of the government, she didn't hold any sensitive information that the man could exploit. What use could that droid possibly be? What did this man who her father once favored want?

Leia's eyes narrowed as she glared at the droid. She lifted her chin and released her legs. She stalked across the room and faced down the inanimate droid. She stood there in front of it, staring at the long arm with the needle. The princess grabbed the barrel of the syringe and yanked it hard until it detached from the metal arm. She threw the syringe across the small cell; the needle broke off upon contact with the wall.

Then Leia turned her attention to the extended arm. She put her foot against the sphere body of the droid and wrapped her hands around the syringe-less arm. Using her foot as leverage, she leaned back, pulled, and twisted the droid's appendage. The force of her actions sent her flying into the air. She landed hard on her backside on the other side of the cell with the arm of the droid in her hand.

The droid had other appendages. Those were hidden behind the octagonal panels that covered it. The princess remembered some of the other ones: the one that sent electrical currents throughout her body, an appendage that sprayed water into her mouth and nose while she lay prone, another that buzzed in her ear, and the one that held her head still while Vader interrogated her with his mind.

The princess slammed the droid's limb against the sleek black floor until is shattered in pieces. She picked up a particularly sharp piece, rose to her feet, and stalked over to the droid. Leia tore at the seams of the octagonal patterns until they opened up and revealed the machines other limbs. She tore at those limbs as she did the first Once her mission was complete, Leia made her way to the pallet, dropped upon it, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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Han Solo's lips were set in a grim line as he piloted the hovercraft through the murky swamp. His hazel eyes scanned the obstructed view outside the windshield. The clock was ticking, and there's still no sign of Leia or her team. Her chances of survival waned with each passing moment. And if she had been badly injured…

No. Leia was strong; her will to live was even stronger. But if she was fatally injured, she may not have the strength to survive.

Han cursed himself. He wished he had Luke's optimism—well, the optimism the kid had years ago. Han knew worrying wouldn't help find Leia any faster, and his emotional state threatened the objectivity he needed to get this job done. He _had_ to believe she was still alive.

"Sir! I picked up a homing beacon. Definitely Alliance."

"Ali. Send the coordinates to everyone."

"Coordinates transmitting."

Han bit back a smile. "All teams, meet at the specified coordinates."

"Yes, General."

"We're on our way."

Han held in a "whoop" and his desire to dance.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8:

Han Solo maneuvered the hovercraft through the narrow pathways of the swamp. It had taken them eight days to pick up the emergency beacon of one of the downed X-wings belonging to the Black Team. Only one beacon; things weren't looking good for the Black Team. Now that they had the coordinates, Han's patience wore thin. The beacon was several clicks out, and the unpredictable terrain of the swamp made maneuvering through it a slow process. Even the speeder bikes had difficulty and couldn't reach the speeds needed to get to the X-wing quickly. Three clicks away and it could take another day or two to reach it.

 _Leia…_

A couple of weeks before he even started this rescue mission plus the eight days they've spent searching for her had passed; did she even have a chance? If she survived, would she still be close to her X-wing? The X-wing emitting the emergency beacon might not even be hers. There were five ships missing; the beacon could be coming from any one of them. Han would be relieved to find anyone alive; he hoped everyone was alive. However, he hoped more than anything that it was Leia who was found alive.

An image of Leia's broken body, twisted in the metal of her ship, caused Han's heart to pull into itself. He shook his head; he couldn't be thinking of her as…Leia was a survivor, Han reminded himself. Of course, if she did survive the weeks and eight days that have passed, she may be nowhere near her ship by now. She and the other survivors would have gone to search for help—if they weren't injured badly. The chances that they weren't injured badly—

The hull of the hovercraft screeched as it scraped along a row of trees. Han brought the craft to a full stop. He slammed his fist against the console. The path in front of him was too narrow to get the hovercraft through. Han backed it up to free it from the trees, turned around, and found a clearing where he parked it.

"Rescue team, this is General Solo," he spoke into the comm. "I've gotten as far as I can in this clunky thing. Continue forward."

Han shut down the hovercraft and collected his gear. He released the hatch and hopped out of the craft.

"General."

"What are you doin' here, Kreen?"

"Saw that the path narrowed. I know you want to be there when…I thought you might want a lift."

"Thanks."

Han climbed onto the back of Kreen's speeder bike, and the pair took off.

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Leia's eyes popped open and she pushed herself to her elbows at the zip of the door.

"Expecting Luke Skywalker? Or Han Solo…"

The muscles in her shoulders relaxed at the sight of the man. Although there was truth to his words—or perhaps it was just wishful thinking; she knew what would happen next if her friends found her—she was relieved to see the man.

"I'm afraid all you get is me."

The man spread out his hands.

"It's good to see you."

He smiled as he glanced at the dismantled droid. "You certainly have been busy."

Leia's eyes followed the man's. She dropped her eyes and examined her fingers.

 _Actions say more than words._

"I had nothing else to do," she lamely explained.

"I'm sorry about leaving that droid in here, Princess, but it was necessary."

"Necessary? Why?"

"Tell me," the man crouched down, rested his arm on his knee, and gazed into her face. "Did I get the details right?"

Leia's face curled into a question mark. "Details?"

"Of the cell Darth Vader kept you in on the Death Star."

The princess bit the inside of her lip and leaned back.

"Why—why did you do this?"

"I'm sorry, but it was necessary."

"Necessary?"

"Tell me, how have been enjoying our accommodations?"

"Of course not."

"Good. You weren't meant to."

"Why was all this necessary?" she asked again.

"I need you to feel your fears, remember your anger." He glanced at the broken interrogator droid. "I see you remember your anger."

"Why do you want me to feel angry and fearful?"

"It is part of your training."

Leia met his golden eyes then lowered them. "It was cruel."

The man took her chin in his hand. "I know, and I am whole-heartedly sorry for this. But you trust me, don't you?"

The princess blinked a couple of times and leaned back to release his hold on her. "Anger and fear, they are paths to the Dark Side."

"So black-and-white. You know the world is made of shades of gray. Why do you insist that the Force be so defined by good and evil?"

"Luke warned me—"

"Skywalker limits his powers with his stark views of the Force. Good. Evil. The Force is just a tool; it is not essentially good or evil. All sentient beings have the potential for good and evil; you know that. It is a matter of how you use the Force just as it is a matter of how a being uses his actions. It's all a means to an end. You can use the Dark Side, as you call it, to do good for the galaxy. And when you do, you'll be more powerful than Skywalker."

"That'll never happen."

"You trust me."

Leia nodded. "But…"

"You will not be limited by the laws of the Jedi, like Skywalker."

"I can never control the Force the way he can."

"That's not true. I felt your strength in the Force when you were just a child. Are you still a child?"

Leia shook her head. The man gave her a closed-mouth smile.

"Do you remember who I am?"

"You were an admiral."

"Good. What's my name?"

"I can't remember."

The man put his hands on his thighs, and stood up. He walked over to the door, touched a spot halfway down from the top of the door, and touched the spot with his forefinger. Leia's brow furrowed as the smooth surface opened up to reveal a single button. The man pressed it, and a grinding noise filled the small cell as a chair with restraints rose from the center of the room.

"Please take a seat."

The princess gripped the edge of the pallet; her knuckles turned white.

"Come now."

She bit her lip, pushed herself up to her feet, walked over to the chair, and sat down. The metal restraints clicked shut around her hands. A lump formed in Leia's throat.

"Darth Vader couldn't break me. And you're not Darth Vader."

"Yes, I haven't lost myself to the Dark Side as he did, and I'm not blinded by personal obsession. All I want to do is make the galaxy a better place for everyone."

"That's all Vader wanted." Leia lifted her chin, remembering what Luke had told her.

"But I haven't been seduced by the Dark Side. I have no personal obsessions. I'm just tired of a ruling government abusing its powers."

"The New Republic—"

"Corruption is inevitable, and you are naïve to think that your new government is free of corruption. Power corrupts."

"Then it will corrupt you."

"Or you."

The princess pressed her lips together. Then she said, "That will never happen."

"I'm counting on that."

"The Republic has a Senate; all planets have equal say. A single being cannot make the decisions."

"Did that stop the Emperor from grabbing control of the Senate?"

Leia looked away. "He was a Sith Lord."

"And still the Senate voted to give him absolute power." The admiral let his words sink in. "Now should we get to business?"

"You can't break me."

"I'm not looking to break you, Princess." The admiral pressed a button on the side of the chair and it reclined. "I'm looking to learn how your mind works. And as I told you, I need you to remember the pain and anger from your past."

The princess clenched her teeth together and focused on controlling her respiration. This wasn't her first or third time she had been subjected to torture, and she had a high endurance of pain. Still, being tortured was anything but pleasant.

 _I can take it_ , she repeated to herself over and over.

The admiral produced a syringe filled with an amber liquid. It looked like the same Vader used on her, only then it was administered by the interrogator droid. Leia bit the inside of her cheek as the man twisted her arm to expose the pale skin of the crook of her elbow. He stroked her skin before inserting the needle into her vein. The princess's eyes squeezed shut as the serum burned through her veins. It didn't take long for her mind to feel like it was floating dream-like away from her.

When her eyelids relaxed, the admiral stepped closer to her. "Now we're ready."

"Please, don't do this."

"I truly am sorry. It has to be done."

"You're wasting your time," Leia mumbled.

The admiral said nothing. Instead, he held out his hand in front of her face and closed his eyes. A soothing film caressed her mind, gentle and benevolent. Leia's muscles relaxed and her head fell back against the reclined chair. The snake squeezing her lungs untangled itself, freeing her to take larger breaths.

"You see?" The admiral's voice echoed within her ears. "I'm nothing like Darth Vader."

His brow furrowed, and his arm straightened. He clenched his jaw. An electrical spark snapped at his mind, forcing the admiral to jump back. He then grunted before opening his golden eyes.

Leia opened her drug-hazed eyes and lifted her head. The lights seemed too bright, and everything—her retrained hands, white dress, and the outline of the black pallet across from her—emitted a white aura. She then stared up at the admiral, blinking.

The princess lifted her head. "You're surrounded by Darkness."

The admiral stepped back and touched his cheek with his hand. "Your mind…it's protected by some kind of shield," he said more to himself than her. "You have no control of this. I can feel it."

Leia dropped her head back onto the high-backed chair and closed her eyes. The poison the admiral injected into her crawled through the wrinkles of her brain.

"Someone felt it was important to shield your mind. Why?"

"Vader couldn't break me," Leia repeated. "You'll fail too."

The admiral pressed his lips together, moved closer to loom over Leia, and touched his hand to her forehead. Her face screwed up as she tried to move her head out of his grasp, but she found she had no control over her neck muscles.

The admiral's face also screwed up, and he held his breath. The tentacles of his mind shrank back as they came into contact with the shield around her mind. He ignored his discomfort and concentrated harder. The admiral held her head tighter, centering his energy on the shield that kept him out of her mind.

The man gasped, let her go, and stepped back.

The clarity in Leia's eyes—now opened and focused on his—made him step further away from her. She wore quizzical yet superior expression.

"Admiral Kadyn Bloomstar. You served the rebellion under my father before you became an agent of the Empire," Leia stated. Her brow furrowed. "You left the rebellion because you became angry when your brother…died. He died when he became sick…the Alliance did not supply you with the medicine that would have saved him…the medicine went to Kiffer refugees instead. Your brother's death was an honor-less death...because he did not die in battle."

Bloomstar's mouth fell open, and his eyes betrayed his vulnerability.

"You were supposed to find concrete evidence that my father was involved in the rebellion…so he could be exposed to the galaxy..."

The admiral's eyes widened.

Leia continued, "You couldn't. Not until…." It was her turn for her eyes to widen. "You knew about the stolen plans. You're the one who informed the Empire of the rendezvous point," she whispered. "You learned that they were to be delivered to me."

Bloomstar cleared his throat. "That is true. You're father made a fatal mistake." He clasped his hands behind his back and straightened his shoulders. "I did like your father, though. I made sure that the Empire intercepted your ship instead of allowing the plans for the Death Star to reach Alderaan. He would have been arrested and tried for treason—punishable by death—if those plans reached Alderaan. Especially, since it was his own daughter involved in procuring them."

"That doesn't make you a hero."

"No, but I spared Alderaan."

"The Empire still destroyed it."

"But not because of me," the admiral reminded her. "From what I heard, you had a hand in that."

Leia swallowed.

"If you only gave Vader what he wanted." Bloomstar grabbed her by her cheeks with one hand and pressed his other against her forehead. "Now, give me what I want."

Leia cringed and screwed her eyes shut. Bloomstar's brown furrowed and his lips stretched into a grimace. His mind fought to throw off the electrical sparks of her mind shield, and he pressed forward until he exhausted himself. Both were left panting.

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Luke gripped his lightsaber; his knuckles turned white. He followed the black shadow that surrounded Leia to these hidden Jedi Temple tunnels. Luke was certain she was here. How could he have been wrong?

The dark shadow that he felt around Leia now hovered over him.

"Lessons you have learned, did you?"

Luke saw Yoda's ghost materialize. The outline of the Jedi was faded, and his appearance looked weak.

"Yoda."

"The Chosen One, your father was. Bring balance to the Force, he was supposed to do."

"He failed."

"Perhaps not. The Masters were wrong, they could be. Not the Chosen One, we thought. Perhaps his legacy, the Chosen One is."

Luke swallowed.

"Bring balance to the Force, perhaps you will. Perhaps you did."

"The Sith are dead. There are no Jedi but me."

"Balance this is."

Luke rolled his lips between his teeth. "If I restore the Jedi Order, that balance will be lost."

"Restore it you must to keep balance. Dangers ahead of you there are. A battle of good and evil, everlasting it is."

Skywalker's blue eyes gazed into the distance.

"Anger, fear, aggression. The ways of your father, they were." Yoda grunted and shook his head. "Powerful Jedi was he. A powerful Jedi you are. Your sister, powerful in the Force she will be."

"She's in trouble. She needs my help."

"Your father's mistakes will you make?"

"No."

"Your feelings for her, they are strong. Attached to her you are. Like your father was to your mother."

 _Bury your feelings deep down, Luke,_ Ben's ghost told him when Luke figured out Leia was his sister.

A ball of ire formed in Luke's stomach; he clenched his fists and forced it to dissipate. Forcing a Jedi to cut all attachments…it seemed so cruel to him.

"Ben never forbade me from having an attachment to her."

"Remember your battle against Vader on the second Death Star, you must."

Luke closed his eyes, and his fists tightened by his sides. When the Sith Lord probed his mind and discovered Leia's identity, Vader threatened to turn her to the Dark Side. Luke's fears and anger got the best of him, and his raw emotions drove him to use the Dark Side to defeat his father.

Anakin Skywalker had turned himself over completely to the Dark Side because of his attachment to Padme. He had chosen her over the Jedi. The Jedi had saved him from slavery, but Luke's father was not free to pursue a life of his own. He was trained as a Jedi from childhood; he was given no choice.

But Luke, he was an adult when he _chose_ to become a Jedi. Yoda had told Ben that Luke was too old to be trained, but Luke had defied Yoda's proclamation; Luke was trained and did become a Jedi—even after his attachment to Leia and Han was formed. There were moments he allowed himself to be led by his emotions, but he overcame them, took control of them. Would he always be able to do that?

How would Luke react if Han and Leia were brutally killed? How would he react if Leia was turned to the Dark Side?

 _Too much of his father in him,_ Yoda had told Ben.

Luke's brow furrowed at the sensation of needles piercing through his skull. _Leia…_

"Contact her you must not. In danger it will put her." Yoda repeated.

Luke rolled his lips between his teeth as he mulled over Yoda's words.

"Someone or something's attacking Leia by using the Force. Leia's untrained. It's dangerous for her."

"For her? Or for you?"

Luke stared at Yoda's ghost.

"She needs me."

"So sure are you?"

"What if she turns to the Dark Side? As you said, she is powerful in the Force. I must stop her before she does."

"Do what you must, you will. Lessons learned I'm not so sure. New lessons to learn there are."

With that, Yoda's ghost faded away, living Luke with an empty pit in his stomach.

 _I'm not my father._ But what if Yoda was right?

Luke's father betrayed the Jedi because of his love for Padme. His only goal, desire was to save her.

But Anakin was the one who killed her.

The needle-like sensation penetrated deeper into his brain. Every nerve in his body screamed for him to go rescue Leia. Where was she? Luke cursed himself. She was on Diepre; she was always on Diepre. Luke closed his eyes and steadied his breath as he focused on the biting sensation that pricked at the back of his neck. Leia was in trouble. She needed him. He had to do something.

The last Jedi turned his thoughts inward and delved into his feelings for his sister. He concentrated as he searched for Leia through the Force. The dark shadow hovered around her but he captured an image of her face contorted in pain.

 _Leia…Hear me…_

Luke's heart jumped into his throat, his eyes popped open, and he sucked in his breath.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9:

Leia's eyebrows were knitted together, and her lips were pulled back exposing her clenched teeth. Admiral Bloomstar's countenance was as strained as hers as he held her face by her cheeks with one hand and positioned his other over her forehead. An unseen current of power snapped and crackled between them; the pain was almost unbearable as Leia's mind reflexively fought him off.

Then a warm, familiar sensation probed the princess's mind. The shield protecting her mind dropped away.

"Luke…." She breathed, her expression relaxed briefly as Luke touched her mind. But as quick as she felt him, he disappeared, leaving her defenseless.

The admiral's eyes widened and he released his hold on Leia but kept his other hand extended towards her face.

"Luke Skywalker…He's your brother."

He closed his eyes. Leia shrank back and twisted her head, but she could not fight him off. The tentacles of the admiral's mind wormed themselves through her brain, weaved into the dark corners, and invaded secrets that even she didn't know she held.

"Yoda," Bloomstar breathed. "He's the one that shielded your mind…to protect you from Darth Vader and the Emperor." He paused. "Even you didn't know you were a Force-sensitive until Luke, your brother…until he told you." He shook his head.

Bloomstar kept his eyes on the princess as he paced a circle around her. "The Emperor didn't know…Vader, _your father,_ didn't know. But I felt your Force sensitivity when you were just a child…how?"

From behind her, the admiral enclosed his fingers around the crown of her head as he rifled through her memories. "Bail Organa—"

"My _real_ father," Leia spat through clenched teeth.

" _Bail Organa_ ," Bloomstar growled, "kept you away from your _true_ father as much as he could."

Leia shuddered. She had thought her father kept her away from Darth Vader because Bail feared that monster would frighten her. Leia was always trying to sneak a peek of the Sith Lord when he came to the Alderaani palace—which wasn't often. She wanted to prove to her father that she wasn't afraid of Darth Vader despite all the bad things she heard about him, that she had the courage to look into those black orbs of his. The Dark Lord fascinated Leia, and she desired to interact with him. But her father would reprimand her—harshly reprimand her—any time he saw her slinking around his political dealings with the Emperor's trusted servant. It didn't matter, though. When she did manage to be in Darth Vader's presence, Vader ignored her; he wouldn't even look at her. It was rumored that Vader killed bad little girls and boys, a story Leia brushed off as a tale meant to scare children into behaving.

 _I'll call Darth Vader to come over tonight, if you don't clean your room…eat your vegetables…obey your mother,_ Leia remembered her friend's parents threats. Her father never threatened her with such a story.

Young Leia wouldn't have believed such a threat anyway. She sensed Darth Vader's contempt for her…and something else. A sadness? Remorse? Leia pushed his feelings out of her mind and figured the Sith Lord hated children enough to avoid them. Perhaps he was the one who feared children.

But as the princess grew older, and by the time she became a senator, she witnessed and heard about the atrocities Darth Vader had perpetrated against innocent people. Leia came to understand that the Sith Lord was dangerous—perhaps more dangerous than the Emperor himself—and Vader was not one to be trifled with. He did not put up with dissention.

Bloomstar released her head, and with his hands clasped behind his back, he walked around her until he stood in front of her. He closed his eyes and held out his hand inches from her face. Leia's eyes were squeezed shut, and perspiration collected on her forehead. She tried to squirm out of his range as Bloomstar continued to shuffle through her mind. She pushed back against him to no avail. He invaded her most precious memories: that of her father, of her childhood and childhood friends on Alderaan, of those she lost when Alderaan was destroyed and those who fell in battles. He tapped into her deepest fear, the fear of losing her loved ones.

"Han Solo…your feelings for him, your love for him…he is your greatest weakness."

He opened his eyes and gazed at Leia. Slow tears slipped from the corner of her eyes and created trails down her cheeks that glistened in the harsh light overhead.

Leia felt the man's grip on her mind soften, but he continued to probe her mind. She narrowed her large brown eyes upon him, gritted her teeth together, and pushed against his invasion. Invisible sparks snapped at the admiral and he pulled his hand away from her, shaking it as if he got physically burnt.

"Such anger," Bloomstar panted, a triumphant smile stretched his lips. "Remember it; it's going to make you powerful."

Using the Force, Admiral Bloomstar brought the reclining chair to an upright position and released her hands from their restraints. Leia rubbed her wrists and glared at the admiral. He crouched down so that his face was level with hers, took her face in his hands, and wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

"Sh. You're okay. You're still strong. Stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Leia inhaled, and her tears ceased to fall.

"You still trust me?"

The princess blinked and then nodded her head. Bloomstar opened out his arms, and she wrapped hers around his neck.

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Luke Skywalker's eyes screwed shut, and he spat a Corellian curse he picked up from Han. _What have I done?_

 _Contact her you must not. In danger it will put her,_ Yoda's words taunted him.

Luke put his hands over his ears, but Yoda's bodiless voice couldn't be shut out. The last Jedi let his emotions rule his actions. _Like his father..._ When Yoda warned him not to contact his sister, he imagined it was mortal danger that Yoda referred to in his warning. Not that Luke wanted to put Leia in mortal danger—that's the last thing he wanted to do—but the pain he sensed; she was suffering…he thought if he just touched her mind for the briefest of moments, he could assess her situation and bring her comfort, let her know she was not alone. Luke never thought the danger Leia faced came from within herself. Why didn't he listen to Yoda? Had he learned nothing from his experience in the Jedi Temple's tunnels?

However, had he not reached out to Leia, Luke would have never understood the level of danger Leia was in. She was in danger of losing herself to the Dark Side, a fate much worse than death. Leia's ire had always been a danger; Luke had to admit to himself that he feared that if he trained her, he would make the same mistakes Ben made with Anakin Skywalker. Luke also knew Leia feared becoming like Darth Vader more than Luke did. With her position in the government, her potential power, if she turned she would be a threat to the entire galaxy. And it would be up to Luke to stop her. Perhaps kill her.

Luke felt her captor—an Admiral Bloomstar, was it?—penetrate the princess's mind, and it was Luke who allowed that to happen.

A door opened across from him, and Skywalker hurried through it. It led to a storm drain. Luke followed the drain until he came to an exit that was covered with a grate; it opened up into a woodsy area. The rising sun's light filtered through the trees. Luke wasn't even away that such a natural place existed on Coruscant. However, he had no time to waste admiring the beauty that lay before him. He held out his hand, and the grate fell away.

Han then popped into the Jedi's mind. Luke bit the inside of his cheek. Han had to have reached Diepre already with a rescue team. He pulled out his commlink.

"Han." Nothing.

Luke tried several times again and still got no answer. Luke closed his eyes and searched for Han's presence in the Force. Han had made it to Diepre, but his Force aura was weaker than Leia's had been. And there was that dark shadow that had hovered over Leia. He felt it near the former smuggler, felt it approaching his unwitting friend. When Luke's blue eyes opened, dread filled them, and his mouth went slack. Luke _had_ to get to Diepre.

 _Yoda wasn't always right, and neither was Obi Wan Kenobi,_ Skywalker thought as he rushed through the forest to get back to his X-wing. Yoda and Ben were mistaken about Anakin Skywalker. He wasn't the Chosen One. Yoda suspected the Masters were wrong—Luke could feel his doubt in the tunnels—and Yoda had been wary of Obi Wan training Anakin in the first place. It was the Master's mistake that led to Anakin's downfall. Ben almost killed Luke's father. He said there was no good left in Anakin after Anakin chose the Dark Side, but Darth Vader turned to the Light Side in the end; Darth Vader _saved_ Luke's life.

And when Luke ignored Yoda's warnings and left his training on Dagobath to go rescue Han and Leia from Darth Vader on Bespin—which, Luke readily admitted, it was he who needed the rescuing—he found out the true identity of Darth Vader. Perhaps that is the real reason Yoda warned him not to go. Yes, at that time Luke was unprepared to face down the Sith Lord, but…

 _You will destroy all for they have fought and suffered._

Darth Vader would have tortured and used Han and Leia against Luke until they succumbed to death had Luke not tried to rescue them. _I'm sure of that._ Han and Leia didn't escape Darth Vader's clutches unscathed—Han didn't escape at all—but they both lived and Luke was able to rescue Han in the end.

 _This is a dangerous time for you,_ Ben had told him. And Ben was right; it was Luke, not Han and Leia, who was facing the most danger. Luke risked falling to the Dark Side.

And catching a wisp of Leia's anger when Luke reached out to her, it was Leia who now risked falling to the Dark Side. Luke had faced his trial when he battled his father— _their_ father—on the second Death Star. Yes, he did use the Dark Side, but the Last Jedi pulled himself from the brink and didn't fall. Leia had no training; she knew very little of the danger she faced.

 _All life is sacred…Individual bonds…attachment to family, all forbidden. When this law is broken, the consequences are disastrous._

How is a Jedi to feel compassion and empathy for all beings if they are forbidden any kind of love or attachment? Perhaps if Anakin Skywalker was able to love Padme openly, he wouldn't have turned to the Dark Side.

Or perhaps not.

When Anakin broke the Jedi law, the consequences were felt throughout the galaxy. Would Luke make the same mistake if he went to rescue his sister? Would he turn to the Dark Side and bring ruin to the galaxy?

The danger of Leia turning to the Dark Side was greater than Luke turning to the Dark Side. If anything, she needed to be stopped before it was too late.

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Han Solo's elation over finding one of the downed X-wings deflated when he saw the wreckage from his seat behind Kreen on the speeder bike. Even from the distance between the wreckage and the bike, he recognized the X-wing to be Leia's ship. Kreen brought the speeder bike to a small clearing and stopped. Han jumped off before Kreen shut off the bike.

Han rushed into the murky water; his boots sank into the muddy bottom, and although the water was just up to his thighs, it took him great effort to walk. He cursed the water, cursed the bloody swamp. It felt as if he'd never reach the X-wing.

But he did. The water now reached his thighs. Han grit his teeth together to prepare himself for the worse. He touched the right side of the nose of the tilted X-wing but still couldn't see inside the cockpit. He waded around to the other side and exhaled in relief; the cockpit was empty. That meant Leia had survived. Then he saw it: her helmet bobbed upon the ripples Han's body created. He picked the helmet up and turned it in his hands. Blood stained the inside where her temple would be. Solo's chest tightened. The memory of Leia missing on Endor—her helmet the only sign that she had been there—popped into his head.

 _I hope she's alright._

Han wanted to discard the helmet—not in the water but in the cockpit—but he found that he couldn't let it go.

"Sir," Kreen interrupted Han's thoughts. "Reg says Ali and Cameron found two more X-wings."

"Are there any survivors?"

"There may be. They found Remi's body, but Drek is missing. Looks like he managed to eject before the crash."

Jenko's voice crackled from both Han's and Kreen's commlinks. "I found Prog's X-wing. Prog is missing."

"That means the princess, Prog, and Drek survived."

"Black Leader. She hates being called princess in the field," Han said. "Now we just have to figure out where they went."

Kreen stepped next to Han to examine the damage.

"I know," Han said. He didn't have to be a Jedi to figure out Kreen's thoughts.

Leia didn't eject; from her mangled X-wing, she couldn't have survived without serious injury.

Han spoke into his commlink. "Did Prog manage to eject?"

"Doesn't look like it," Jenko answered. "But his X-wing's parachute activated."

Leia's parachute didn't; nothing slowed her decent.

"The prin—Black Leader, Prog, and Drek could've found each other."

"Best case scenario." Han placed his hands on his hips. He didn't want to think of the worst case scenario.

"Jenko, look for signs of Prog," Han said before trying to reach Darren.

But Darren didn't answer.

"Reg. Come in. Reg."

Nothing.

"I got a bad feeling about this."

Kreen stepped away from Leia's X-wing and bumped into something in the opaque water.

"Something's down here."

Kreen and Han felt around under the surface. Han stumbled back, his face turned ashen.

Kreen found purchase on the human form stuck in the murky bottom of the swamp. With effort, he managed to free the body from the mud below and guide the body up to the surface where it bobbed.

"Oh, Prog," Kreen lamented.

Han's expression revealed his relief, and he suddenly felt guilty for being grateful that it wasn't Leia. Prog's corpse floated on his stomach; Han could see the bone sticking out of his arm. Kreen flipped Prog over. His head was bruised and his pilot's suit was stained with blood. Kreen placed his hand on Prog's forehead and tipped his head back. There was a deep gash across his neck that almost severed his head from his body. The cut was straight and clean.

Solo's hope for Leia's safety waned. He activated his commlink. "Jenko. You can return to these coordinates." He punched in his and Kreen's location.

"Yes, General."

Han waded over to the nearest cluster of trees. He pulled on a long branch until it snapped off the tree's trunk. Kreen followed suit. The pair silently dredged the bottom of the swamp water. Jenko arrived and joined the pair in the search for other bodies.

A rustling in the surrounding trees caught the rebels' attention. Han reached for his blaster, as did the others. A man in dragon armor stood on the embankment.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A man in dragon armor stood on the embankment. "You are surrounded. Any fight will only lead to the deaths of your men….and possibly yourself, General Solo."

Fingering his blaster, Han narrowed his eyes on the stranger. But he did nothing more as uniformed men and women hidden in the overgrowth revealed themselves.

"Are the other pilots alive?" _Is Leia alive?_ Han wanted to ask.

"Right now, you should be worrying about your own life." The man pulled back his lips, exposing his white teeth. He stood fifty meters from Han and Kreen. Without warning, he fired his blaster at Kreen.

The blast hit Kreen in the center of his heart, and he fell into the water, disappearing beneath the opaque surface. Han fired his blaster, but the man held up his hand and blocked the shot the way Darth Vader did in Cloud City. Then Han went flying into the air and crashed against a tree, rendering him unconscious.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10:

Leia hadn't slept in several days by her estimates. Bright lights, holovids, and blaring alarms with scattered voices in between were a constant assault on her senses. The bright lights didn't fade the holovids. The vivid holovids were of war crimes: rape, murder, burning villages, crumbled buildings, torture, genocide—the horrors of war. Save for genocide—which was only committed by the Imperials—the rebels took part in the same crimes as the Empire and were just as ruthless. Side-by-side these holovids were shown. The voice that echoed off of the walls of the tiny white room spoke of these crimes and accused her of believing war was worth the cost in this fight for freedom.

"No side is innocent. You couldn't be that naïve."

Leia knew that war crimes were committed by the rebels, but she believed these crimes were far and few between and that those responsible were punished. She was guilty of being naïve in this sense, but she was guiltier for focusing more on the ends—peace, the restoration of a democratic governing body of the galaxy—than the means that would bring an end to the war.

"Displaced peoples, refugees forced out of their homes and unable to find a new home; Discrimination and abuse these refugees endured."

The holovids showed the faces of these refugees fenced in in camps—mostly aliens but humans as well—and smaller communities and tribes trapped between the two warring sides. Women and men suffered humilities at the hands of both the Empire and the Alliance; these images of each side committing these atrocities were projected side-by-side, stressing the point that the Imperials and the rebels were no different from each other.

"'Honest' war, guerilla warfare, sabotage, the enemy was not the only one who suffered. Infrastructures were destroyed, homes were destroyed. For every act of sabotage against the Empire brought punishment to those innocent lives. Who do you think was punished when the rebels left the scene?"

Images of burnt-out houses, crumbled buildings, mass executions burned into Leia's mind. She shut her eyes and covered her ears; alarms blared and the voice that followed was louder than before. Her tears flowed freely, and she wiped her cheeks and nose with the back of her hand.

She looked down at her attire. She no longer wore that hated-white dress. Instead, she donned a short-sleeve mock turtle neck and army green pants. She touched her hair. If felt as if someone had braided her hair into Vasen braids. When did this happen?

The bodiless voice brought her back to the present. "We can change this. Embrace your anger, your fear. Allow the aggression you feel flow freely and this destruction of societies can end. Change will come through the government. _You_ have the ability to bring peace to the galaxy if you accept the Force as neither good nor evil. There is no Light Side. There is no Dark Side; only the Force that you can wield to end the war. Peace is within your reach."

Leia sunk onto haunches, holding her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. The assault on her senses ceased and the door slid open. Leia opened her eyes and raised her head. She dropped her hands from her ears. Admiral Bloomstar crossed the room and stood over her.

"The horrors of war are a sin against the innocent."

Leia blinked her brown eyes clear of tears. She took one more swipe of her face with her sleeve. She then bowed her head; her shame and guilt made her feel unworthy of this man who towered over her. Bloomstar crouched down. He lifted her chin and then held her head, stroking the skin behind her ear with his thumb.

"I'm so sorry you had to endure this, Princess. Do you believe me?

His soft voice and gentle touch brought her comfort. "Yes."

"It was necessary for you to face the consequences of your Alliance's fight against the Empire."

"I know. Will you forgive me?"

"Of course I do."

"You are now ready to start your training."

Leia's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed.

"You…you fear me."

Bloomstar released her head, and his fatherly expression faded.

"I do not fear you. I care for you."

"You need me."

"You're in a dangerous state; your anger and fear are strong. You need to be trained to harness your emotions. Your power in the Force makes you dangerous."

He tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "You would never use your powers against me, would you?"

"No, of course not."

"I will begin your training."

"As a Jedi…or a Sith?"

"Neither. You will learn to harness both the Dark Side and Light Side of the Force. Only then will our dream of a peaceful galaxy will be fulfilled."

"Our dream..."

"Yes, _our_ dream. Let your training begin."

That was the last thing the princess remembered. A sharp current of pain shocked her body awake. Did she finally fall asleep? If she did, it wasn't for long. Admiral Bloomstar was gone, but she was still in the same room only now she found herself kneeling on a circular pedestal. She looked down; her eyes fell to the abyss that surrounded the pedestal. She couldn't see the bottom.

Her knees hurt; she was kneeling on something that dug into her skin under the material of her pants. Leia saw uncooked halli rice between her legs. As she lifted one of her knees to wipe away the rice, a shock of pain caused her body to convulse. She cried out and returned to her previous position. The pain of the rice beneath her was more bearable than the unexpected shock.

The princess looked around and noticed different objects—including some weapons—lay on the ledge under the wall. She twisted her upper body to see what was behind her and was rewarded with an electric current that raced down every nerve in her body. Once again and with haste, she returned to her previous position.

It didn't take her long to realize that every time she shifted her weight, she would be shocked by the platform she knelt upon. Leia did her best not to move as she tried to think of a way to escape the pain. Luke came to her mind, his Force abilities that allowed him to do unbelievable things. The princess closed her eyes and concentrated. Her body rose from the pedestal then dropped back onto the platform. Again, her body convulsed, and she fought to return to her original position.

Leia panted. So she could levitate. What good would that do her if she couldn't get off the pedestal? She glared at the ledge with the weapons. She knew she wasn't skilled enough to levitate herself to the ledge or confident enough to jump; what little levitation she had done exhausted her. She didn't move. The pain she suffered from kneeling on the halli rice and the electrical shocks she received when shifting her weight was never-ending. If only she could find a way to relieve the pain in her knees.

The princess inhaled and closed her eyes again. She lifted her body off the platform once again by using the Force. She opened her eyes and looked down at the rice. The rice flew off of the platform. Leia dropped back onto the pedestal. She gritted her teeth against the shock that ran through her body. Once she returned to her original position, a large smile stretched across her face. Up until this moment, she had no control of what was happening to her. She won this battle.

This battle…who was she battling? Admiral Bloomstar? No…she couldn't be. He was benevolent, caring. He had saved her life. He didn't take pleasure in her suffering, did he? Leia bit her lip. She couldn't answer that question. He was the one to cause her suffering, but he was always sorry. He wanted her to be his ally. He wanted to train her in the Force.

Did she want to learn how to wield the Force?

An image of Darth Vader loomed inside her head. She sank to her haunches only to be shocked again. Leia fought to erase his image from her mind. Darth Vader was dead. He died on the second Death Star after he saved Luke's life, according to Luke. Vader had turned to the Light Side before he died, Luke said. Darth Vader was the one who killed the Emperor. Did Leia believe that now?

For some reason, she felt she _had_ to believe that, that Darth Vader redeemed himself in those final moments of his life.

The weapons and objects lying on the ledge tinged and clattered, bringing Leia back to the present. A large knife flew her way. Leia dunked down only to suffer another shock. A fork sped through the air and pierced her side. She doubled over and pulled out the fork. She cried out as she was shocked again. Leia tried not to move as other objects and weapons flew toward her to no avail. Her efforts were only rewarded with more shocks. While she managed to avoid serious injury, bruises and cuts marred her body. A knife grazed her arm, but she managed to avoid the shock by holding her position. Leia wouldn't be able to take this torture much longer. With the lack of sleep, the images of war crimes she saw, the pain of the shocks, how much more could she take?

Then Luke came to her thoughts. Her brother had the ability to move things. Could she do the same?

The princess focused on the objects. She saw an ice pick lift off of the ledge that targeted her chest. Leia's brow furrowed and the ice pick fell into the abyss. The objects started to fly faster and with an angry look from the princess, the objects froze in the air before falling into the abyss. Her confidence swelled as she stared down the weapons and objects. Perhaps Admiral Bloomstar was right; perhaps she was truly powerful. Perhaps he was right to fear her?

No, Leia didn't want him to fear her. She wanted to be his ally and chase out the corruption in the government and end the war.

A rock slammed into her back, knocking her forward. She winced as she endured another shock. Leia couldn't turn around to face down those torture devices without an electrical current running through her nerves, but she didn't have to. She concentrated and could see the objects on the ledge behind her. While objects from the ledges in front and on the side of her continued to fly at her, she not only blocked those but the ones behind her as well—and without having to turn around. She stayed in her original position, thus ending the shocks.

Leia wasn't sure how long this lasted, but it ended when the final weapon, a blaster, fired at her from behind. She stopped the blast in mid-air and banished the weapon into the abyss. It was silent. Lacking any more energy, she sunk to her haunches. This time she wasn't shocked.

Admiral Bloomstar stood in the doorway and clapped his hands. A walkway stretched out to the pedestal. He walked toward Leia.

 _I could make him fall into the abyss_ , Leia thought. But why would she do that?

Bloomstar held out his hand. Leia took it, and he helped her to her feet. Her brow formed a converted "v."

"You've captured Han."

His golden eyes widened. "What?"

"Han is here. Why didn't you tell me?"

"He would've been a distraction to your training."

"What have you done to him?"

"Nothing. Why would you think I did something to him?"

Leia's eyes narrowed. "He's hurt."

"That happened when my men and I rescued him in the swamp."

"And his team? Are they your prisoners too?"

"I never said General Solo was a prisoner. He is locked up, but only for his own safety. He hasn't been very cooperative."

"What about his team?"

"They are safe as well."

"Take me to Han."

"You need medical attention."

"Not until I see Han."

Bloomstar was silent for a moment. "Very well."

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Admiral Bloomstar stopped, and Leia, blindfolded, could hear the cries, and smell a foul stench. The admiral removed her blindfold, and she looked around. Four soldiers flanked Bloomstar. Prisoners were trapped by glass walls in rows. One banged on the glass; it wasn't Han. The glass crackled with blue cracks, and the prisoner flew back and out-of-sight. Leia looked at what was in front of her: A permasteel door that she suspected led to another cell. Her heart began to beat faster.

Bloomstar opened the door, and Leia entered first.

"Han!"


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11:

"Han."

"Leia!"

A wide smile of relief spread across Han Solo's face, and he started to stand up, but the chains that kept him tethered to the wall pulled him violently back down to the ground. The side of face was bruised and scratched, the sleeves of his shirt were torn and exposed bruises and scrapes, and his hand was wrapped in a compression bandage. A glass barrier separated him from Leia.

Leia turned to Admiral Bloomstar. "Why is he changed up like an animal?"

"I told you that he's been uncooperative. He attacked my men and is too aggressive to be left unchained."

"More like you attacked us."

Leia's eyes narrowed as she asked, "Is that true?"

"General Solo is mistaken. You love him, but you know I care about you. Why would I attack someone you love?"

Leia blinked and looked from Han to Bloomstar.

"Do you care about me?"

Han's brow furrowed when Leia nodded.

"Now that Han knows you're not the enemy," Leia said, "he will treat you with respect. Remove the glass."

Han's mouth dropped open. "Leia…"

"I allowed you to see him. Your wounds need to be attended to, and don't you want to get some sleep?"

Leia's eyes felt heavy, but that wasn't going to stop her from getting to Han. She licked her lips.

"I need time with him. Let me rest here."

"It's not safe."

The princess looked into Han's eyes. "Han would never hurt me. Let me stay."

Bloomstar sighed. "Fine." But I warn you not to touch the glass. It's electrified."

"Of course it is," Leia muttered under her breath.

"I'll leave you two alone."

Bloomstar exited the room followed closely by his four soldiers. The door slid shut. Han stared at Leia. Why was she so compliant with the man who tried to kill him? How come Leia didn't see him as an enemy? She didn't act like the admiral's prisoner. Maybe the man wasn't an enemy. No, something was wrong.

"Leia…"

Leia didn't pay Han any mind. Instead, her large brown eyes focused on the chains that tethered him to the wall. Han's eyes widened as they fell away from his hands. He looked up as the glass that kept them separated clattered and shook. He backed away. Blue sparks snapped as the glass came crashing down. Han's mouth dropped open, but Leia seemed unfazed. She rushed toward him, throwing her arms around him.

"Han! You shouldn't have come after me."

He pushed her back and held up his hands. "You?"

She nodded.

"And the glass?"

"Admiral Bloomstar is training me."

"To be a Jedi?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"He's training me to use my Force skills so that I can make a better government."

"What does that mean?"

Leia snuggled into his embrace and laid her head on his chest. Han groaned. She pulled back to get a better look at Han. She caressed his face and examined the lacerations on his arms, the marks the restraints left on his wrists. Then she lifted his shirt and discovered the reddish-purple bruises on his ribs.

"What happened?"

"Your pal has Force powers, doesn't he?"

"He couldn't train me if he didn't."

"Well, he slammed me into a tree seven feet away."

"Did you attack Admiral Bloomstar and his soldiers?"

"We didn't get a chance. They had us surrounded before we even knew it."

"He wouldn't have hurt you if you weren't aggressive toward him."

"What?"

Leia kissed his bruised face. "You have a way with people."

"Usually I'm not attacked before I say something," Han said as he examined Leia's wounds.

Blood stained the tears in her shirt, and a blood-soaked spot on her abdomen was still bleeding. He pressed his hand against the spot.

"What has he done to you?"

She pulled Han's hand away. "I told you. He's training me to use my Force powers. He's teaching me to harness my emotions so that he and I can create a government free of corruption and squabbling."

"What?"

The princess kissed him, nestled her head against his chest, and loosely wrapped her arms around Han.

"All that we've fought for will come to pass," she said. "Admiral Bloomstar won't hurt you again."

"He's hurting you."

"All for a greater good."

What did Bloomstar do to her? Han had so many more questions, but Leia had closed her eyes. For the first time, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her skin. The pink in her cheeks was missing.

"Leia?"

She didn't answer him; she had fallen asleep. Bloomstar must have deprived her of sleep, a method used in brainwashing. Bloomstar must've brainwashed Leia. However, Leia wasn't week; lack of sleep couldn't be the only tactic Bloomstar had used. Why hadn't Han come sooner when Luke first contacted him? Where was Luke? Certainly he sensed Leia's suffering.

But Leia didn't think she was suffering. She believed in Bloomstar.

Han held her against him with one arm on the middle of her back. He cradled her head with the other, stroking the skin behind her ear. He stopped and pulled her hair back.

"Leia. Wake up." Han jiggled her. "Come on, Sweetheart, wake up."

She roused from sleep. "What is it?"

"What's this behind your ear?"

"What's what?"

"Feel behind your ear."

"I don't know."

Han tipped her head down. "It looks like some kind of implant."

Leia's eyes widened. "An implant for what?"

Han felt it again. The bump narrowed to a thin vein. Han pressed down on this vein and followed it with his fingers until it disappeared into her skull.

"Whatever it is, it's connected to your brain."

Leia sat up and scratched at it. Han pulled her hand away.

"You're not going to get it out that way."

"You get it out."

"With what?"

Leia's eyes fell upon the shards of glass that encircled them. She grabbed a small piece and pressed her finger against the tip, drawing blood. Han tried to take the piece of glass from her, but her reflexes were quicker than his.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

He reached for it again, but his hand froze in mid-air. With wide eyes and an open mouth, he stared at his hand. Before he knew it, Leia had dragged the glass as close to the implant as she could without damaging it.

"Leia!"

"Bloomstar had to have put this in me. Why?"

Her voice was tainted with hurt and disbelief.

"Bloomstar isn't who you think he is."

She bowed her head and pulled back her hair.

"Get it out."

"Removing implants is dangerous."

Leia held up the piece of glass. "Please, Han."

Her entreaty stung his heart. If he had such an implant, he'd want it removed as soon as it could be, too. Still, it being connected to her brain who knows what would happen? It'd be better removed in a medical setting, but Han doubted that Bloomstar would remove it since he was the one who put it in in the first place.

Han took the glass and began to coax out the silicon implant without puncturing it. As soon as he pulled it out far enough, he pinched the edge between his fingers and tugged on it. The liquid-filled bubble and a slew of blood spilled out of the slit in her skin. After the bubble was out of her skin, he stopped pulling.

"Leia, I'm not sure about this."

"I am. Just do it."

"It's connected to your brain."

"If the admiral realizes that I found it and removed it…I don't want to displease him."

Han huffed. "You're bleeding; he's gonna notice."

"I'm bleeding in other places. He'll just think a knife nicked me."

"A knife?"

"Please, just get it out."

Han bit his lip. At first he gently tugged on the implant without squeezing it, but it didn't come free.

"This is gonna hurt."

"Han…"

Han yanked it out. Leia cringed and her hand flew to the wound. Then she looked up, but her eyes were unfocused. Her muscles stiffened before she slumped into Han's arms. Han laid her on the ground and watched foam ooze from her mouth. He turned her on her side.

"Leia?"

The princess didn't respond.

"Please, Leia, answer me!"


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12:

"Leia!"

Han watched in horror as her body convulsed. He removed his vest and placed it under her head and kept his hand on her shoulder. His brow peaked and his mouth pulled away from his teeth; he could do no more than watch her suffer. Finally, Leia's body relaxed. Han rolled Leia onto her back and adjusted his vest under her head. He used his sleeve to wipe the foam from her mouth and then stroked her cheek.

"Leia. Open your eyes sweetheart. Please."

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Luke Skywalker's cringed as a hundred needles dittoed his brain. He switched the controls of his X-wing to auto-pilot, pushed up his visor, and pressed his fingers against his temples. Leia flashed in his mind; he squeezed his eyes shut as her addled brain assaulted his. What was her captor doing to her?

Skywalker's countenance relaxed as he pressed against the mind-bending sensation. It softened, and Luke was able to reach into Leia's mind. No, this wasn't the work of her captor; he couldn't feel his presence, but Luke did feel Han. And Han was related to her present state of mind. But he wouldn't intentionally hurt Leia…

Luke took calming breaths and stretched his reach deeper into Leia's mind. Leia was fatigued, and he could sense she hadn't slept in days. She had suffered at the hands of her captor, but…she trusted this man. Luke tried to delve deeper, but Leia blocked his probing.

"No, Leia," he said aloud when he sensed the anger and pride that lay under her newly discovered Force powers.

Luke's X-wing was already traveling at light speed; he couldn't make it go faster. And with Leia blocking him from her mind…

Leia didn't want Luke to rescue her and Han.

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"Leia!" Han patted her face and shook her shoulders. "Don't do this to me."

Solo stood up and rushed to the door, banged his fist against it, and yelled for a medic. The guard outside mumbled something back.

"She needs a medic! Do you want to be the one to blame if she dies?"

Han looked over his shoulder and rushed back to Leia's side.

She had pushed herself into a seated position and was holding her head with one hand. She blinked her eyes and squinted up at him. "Han…?"

Han crouched down next to her and used his body to support her. "You had a seizure. Damn! I knew I shouldn't have pulled out that implant."

"You did the right thing. I couldn't stand the thought of that thing inside me."

"I could've killed you."

She smiled up at him and cupped his cheek with her hand. "You didn't." Leia looked around. "Where's Luke?"

"Luke?"

"Yeah."

"He's not here."

"He's not?"

"No."

Leia started to move off of Han's lap. "He was here. I felt him…"

"Take it easy. You're confused."

Leia didn't seem to hear him. "No…Luke's not here. Not yet."

"Does he know where we are?"

She put her hand against her head again. "I…I think so."

"That's good, right?"

The princess shook her head. "He won't understand."

"Understand what?"

"What kind of implant did Bloomstar attach to my brain?"

Han picked up the implant and examined it. His expression darkened. "It's an oxytocin implant. I've seen these used in arranged marriages on Hifleven." Solo squeezed the remaining liquid out of the silicone bubble. "That explains your loyalty to that bastard. How long has it been in you?"

Leia looked at it. "How long? I…" her brow furrowed. "Since I was in the medical center, I think. I felt it for the first time then."

Han tossed the implant across the room. It landed in a pile of glass. Leia had been missing for more than a month; the oxytocin had an ample amount of time to marinate her brain.

"You're bleeding quite a bit behind your ear."

Leia looked down at herself. "I'm bleeding other places too."

Han's face darkened. "How did you get hurt?"

"He was training me."

"Training you?"

"I was able to block different weapons and objects that flew at me." Leia touched the wound on the side of her abdomen and winced.

"Doesn't look like you were that good at it."

"Not at first," Leia's brown eyes twinkled with pride, "but I became good at it. I was just as good as Luke."

Han raised an eyebrow. "As good as Luke?"

She nodded.

"Using the Force."

"I know it sounds impossible, but Bloomstar believes I can be more powerful than Luke."

"And this is what you want."

Leia stared at the shattered glass. "I…I don't know." She then looked up to Han. "I may need to be."

"This is what Bloomstar wants."

The princess jutted out her chin. "To achieve our goals, I must embrace my Force powers."

" _Our_ goals?"

Leia nodded.

"You mean yours and Bloomstar's goals."

"By using the Force." Han took her face in his hands and gazed into her large brown eyes. "What else has Admiral Bloomstar _taught_ you?"

Her eyes faded to somewhere far away and the light left her face. She shivered as if she was cold.

"He hurt you."

She shook her head as if to shake the memory of the recreated Death Star cell out of her head, the images of the atrocities of war the rebels committed, the metal objects that pummeled her. Leia licked her lips.

"It was necessary. He had to show me the truth. He had to show me what I could do."

"By hurting you."

She returned her attention to Han. "I was able to read Bloomstar's thoughts. Then Luke…Bloomstar got into my head; even Vader couldn't do that."

"I'll say he got into your head."

"Luke touched my mind… I don't know how many days ago. It was when I first got here, near that time." Her eyes once again went far away at the memory of Bloomstar's icy fingers, so cold inside her brain. "Bloomstar was able to get into my mind, find out things about me because I allowed Luke in. I have to stop Luke. He won't understand."

"I don't understand."

"Luke's on his way here."

"Luke's the one who contacted me to tell me you were in trouble. I'm surprised he didn't beat me here." Han put his hand on the top of Leia's head and turned her face up to his. "Leia, we _need_ his help."

"I…I don't need help."

Before Han could say anymore, the door to their prison slid open and two guards with a medic entered the room.

Leia leaned close to Han's ear. "Don't mention the seizure."

The guards and medic paused as they scrutinized the broken glass. The guards raised their rifles when they noticed Han was no longer chained to the wall.

"General Solo is no threat to you," Leia said.

The guards kept their rifles pointed at Han but relaxed their stance. The medic kneeled down next to the princess. She grimaced as she saw the bruises and cuts on Leia's body. She turned her attention to the red-stained spot on Leia's shirt.

"Lie down."

Leia obeyed. Han held her hand as the medic pulled up Leia's shirt. Han pressed his lips together at the sight of the three straight slices on her abdomen. The medic put on some gloves and retrieved a rag from her bag. She wiped away the blood before spreading bacta gel over the wound.

"This will hurt."

"Then you should give her a painkiller."

"I've been instructed not to do so."

"Why is that?"

"I wasn't told. I'm only here to follow directions."

"You're a medic—"

"Han, it's okay." Leia squeezed his hand.

The princess cringed as the salve was spread over her wound; Han squeezed her hand. The medic returned her attention to her bag and pulled out medical glue. Leia gritted her teeth together as the medic pinched Leia's skin together and applied the glue to each slice on her abdomen.

"Why glue and not stitches?" Han asked.

"Orders."

Han held his breath as the medic tended to the wound behind Leia's ear. The medic treated the cut like the one on Leia's belly. He clenched his jaw as he watched the medic then spread bacta gel over Leia's lesser cuts, but the medic seemed not aware that the implant was removed. Han's eyes followed the medic's ministrations to the lesser cuts on Leia's arms and back. How could Leia trust a man who's did _this_ to her?

The oxytocin. Solo wasn't certain how much of the drug had been pumped into Leia's brain. It could take days for it to wear off. How would Leia react to Bloomstar when the drug left her system? He'll certainly notice the difference. Han had to find a way out of there, but escape seemed impossible. Maybe Leia could use her newly-discovered Force Powers—if he could convince her Bloomstar was using her before things got worse. Han pressed his lips together. Luke had to be near by now.

"That should do it." She smiled at the princess. "Those bruises and scrapes will heal in a few days. You'll be sore, but no worse for wear."

The medic stood and exited the cell followed by the guards. Han's hazel eyes met Leia's. He opened his mouth, but Leia wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her head against his chest. Han wrapped his arms around her. He could feel her respiration fall into a rhythm. He rested his chin upon her head and closed his eyes as well.

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	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13:

Princess Leia lifted her head from Han's chest and yawned. Han ran his hand along the intricate braid that fell to her waist and smiled.

"Mornin', or whatever it is."

Leia lifted her chest off of Han and rubbed her eyes with both fists.

"How long have I been out?"

"Hard to tell from in here. A long time though. How you feelin'?"

"Pretty good." She yawned again. "I haven't slept in a while."

"Sleep deprivation." Han couldn't keep the distain out of his voice.

Leia furrowed her brow. "No…I just couldn't."

"Because he didn't let you."

No…He's training me."

"With sleep deprivation. You know that's a method of mind control."

"I'm in control of my own mind."

Han changed his line of questioning. "When will you need to stay up for days in the Senate?"

"You've never been a Senator." There was a forced lilt in her voice.

"Leia…"

She stretched her neck and kissed his lips before pulling back and smiling. Han leaned down to steal more kisses. Leia moved to kneel between Han's legs, wrapped a hand around his neck, and stroked his hair with the other. She closed her eyes and let her lips linger on his.

Leia then broke their connection but pressed her forehead against his. "Han…I feel that it's dangerous for you to be here."

"And it's not for you?"

She lifted her forehead from his and rolled her lips between her teeth. "I don't think so. He needs me."

"To overthrow the government."

"That's not it at all."

"Okay. So you can manipulate the members of the government with the Force."

"No. I…" She pulled out of his embrace and stood up. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Yes."

Leia walked to the other side of the room, leaned against the wall, and slid down to a seated position. She wrapped her arms around her knees. "You don't understand."

"He's using you."

She looked into his face. "Maybe I'm using him."

Han held her defiant glare until she folded.

"Han, please…Let it go."

Han opened his mouth, but before he could get any words out, the door slid open and revealed Admiral Bloomstar. Solo stood up.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid it's time to get back to training."

Leia stood up, planted her feet shoulder-width apart, and balled her hands into fists. Han recognized her posture as the one she took when she was about to demand something and expected her demands to be met. Was she playing with fire demanding something from their captor?

"Not until you do something for me."

Han smiled. There was his Leia.

"I've done so much for you."

"Not enough."

Bloomstar's face turned to stone before it broke into a smile. "Of course. What would you like me to do?"

"Let Han go."

Solo's smile collapsed and his eyebrows rose.

"Very well." The admiral turned to Han. "Captain Solo, you are free to leave. I'll arrange transportation for you."

"I'm not leaving without Leia."

"Princess?"

Leia looked between Han and Bloomstar, then back to Han. "Take this opportunity, Han."

"I'm not leaving you with this monster."

"Monster? Princess, am I a monster?"

She bit her lower lip and held Han's eyes with hers. She shook her head "no."

"Leia's coming with me."

"Shouldn't that be Her Highness's choice?"

Both men looked at Leia.

"I…I can't go with you, Han. I have to stay." Her voice was small, quiet. "I have to complete my training."

Han's mouth and eyes widened. "He's controlling you."

"You know he isn't."

Han pressed his lips together. "No, I don't. Leia, you're just confused."

"Am I?" Her voice wavered.

"Yes."

"I have to stay."

"So, General Solo, if you choose not leave without the princess, then I'm afraid I'll have to keep you as my prisoner."

"No. You won't keep Han here."

"I can't make him leave."

Leia narrowed her eyes. "Yes, Admiral, you can."

"So can you."

Her expression lost its edge as she turned to Han. What did Bloomstar mean?

"You don't want him to go," the admiral said.

The princess dropped her gaze to the floor. Hope sparked in Han's chest.

"Come with me Leia."

She shook her head.

"Then it is up to the general. Do you take your leave? Or do you stay as my prisoner?"

Han tried to capture Leia's eyes, but she refused to look up. He turned his eyes to the admiral.

"Guess I'm your prisoner."

Leia hugged herself and looked at Bloomstar. "You can't."

"What choice does the general leave me?"

She shifted her eyes to her love. "Han?"

Solo kept his eyes locked on Leia's but said nothing. She bit her bottom lip and turned to the admiral.

"He will not be treated as a prisoner."

"But he is a prisoner."

The princess lifted her chin. "General Solo will not be restrained. He will be moved to more comfortable quarters and be treated as a guest."

"He poses a risk to my men… _and_ our cause."

"Be that as it may, he is to be treated with the upmost respect."

Bloomstar bowed. "As you wish, Princess."

Han's brow furrowed. He studied Bloomstar's countenance. The admiral was still looking at the princess. Instead of deceit, the man seemed fearful under his mask of superiority. His slight closed-mouth smile hinted at a gratefulness he was fighting hard to contain. Did he fear Leia would choose Han over him (and why didn't she)? Or did he fear displeasing her? Who held whom prisoner? Maybe Leia was less of a prisoner than Han thought.

Solo turned his attention to Leia. She held Bloomstar's stare with the posture and expression of a princess. However, confusion flickered in her large brown eyes. That oxytocin implant had been attached to her brain for more than a month, Han surmised. It was out now, but its effects would take time to wear off. Was that what kept Leia loyal to Bloomstar? Leia shifted her eyes to Han and she hugged herself. That was a clarity in her gaze, a determination; the look Han recognized as Leia. Something in her eyes told him that it wasn't just the oxytocin in her system that kept her loyal to Bloomstar. Han wanted to go to her, grab her by the shoulders, and shake some sense into her. Couldn't she see what was going on? Couldn't she see that Bloomstar's goals—goals she now claimed as her own—went against everything she believed?

The admiral beckoned to two guards who stood at the door. With synchronized steps, they walked over to Han and started to bound his hands. Leia raised an eyebrow and the guards dropped the restraints to the floor.

"I expect you to cooperate, General."

"Oh…sure."

"Han…" Leia entreated.

Han stared at her. She dropped her eyes to the floor, kept her arms crossed over her chest, and exited the cell.

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Luke Skywalker's X-wing shuddered as it was assaulted by bolts of blue lightning.

"I know, I know!" he yelled at R2-D2. "I'm shutting everything down. You shut down too. I don't want you shortening out."

The astromech droid beeped and squawked before his red light went out. Luke flipped switches and pressed buttons, and the console darkened. He closed his eyes, envisioning a path through the slashes of lightning. Using the Force, the Jedi guided the powerless X-wing through the danger, weaving and dropping the ship to avoid a fatal blow of electricity, gliding through the foggy atmosphere until he sensed a suitable place for landing. He hovered the X-wing over a clear spot in the deep swamp and gently set it down.

The Jedi opened his eyes. Now all he just had to do was to find Leia. Luke could feel his sister's presence, but not like he did in the Jedi Temple. She _was_ here on Diepre; the Jedi was more than certain about that. However, Leia seemed farther away from him now that he was in close vicinity of her. Luke stared out of the tinted windshield of the cockpit. Visibility was limited to the trees that hung over the ship. The fog seemed to consume everything else.

"Artoo, wake up."

The droid emitted what sounded like a yawn than launched into a series of complaints.

"I know you hate swamps. Good news: you're staying here with the ship."

Artoo's beeping rose at the end of his sentence. Luke had been with the plucky droid long enough to have a general understanding of what he was communicating.

"I'll be fine. I need you to stay with the ship. Besides, I'll move faster without you."

Luke suppressed a chuckle when it sounded as if Artoo cursed at him.

"I expect you to track my path so if I get lost, you can guide me back."

Artoo beeped, boped, and hewed.

Luke held up the transponder.

The droid beeped again.

Luke sighed. "Of course, I'll be careful. You be careful, too. Set to low power, and don't let anyone steal the ship."

The droid clicked and harrooed.

"No, I doubt anyone will try to steal you, but just to be on the safe side, stay in low power. I've got to go. Leia and Han need rescuing."

Luke stood up in the cockpit and removed his flight suit. He wore all black, a color he had become more comfortable wearing since his experience fighting Darth Vader on Cloud City. He just couldn't see himself in the brown and beige robes worn by his mentors, Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda; he wasn't a Master—not yet.

Not yet? With the knowledge he found at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, could he become a Master? Could he responsibly train Force Sensitives in the way of the Jedi? Could he avoid the mistakes Ben made with Vader?

Skywalker fastened the belt of his holster around his hips, attached his lightsaber to it, and climbed down the ladder hanging from the cockpit. He dropped off of the ladder, and mud splattered over his boots. He took several steps forward in the ankle-deep mud-water before stopping. Where was he going?

Luke scanned his environment. Moss hung off of the twisted trees that sprouted out of the wet ground. Snakes, exotic bugs, a lizard the size of a mouse droid, a mammal of sorts skittering across the branch hanging low above his head, species similar to those on Dagobath. But this place was not Dagobath. The fog was much thicker; there was something unnatural about it. This haze prickled his skin, raised the hair on the back of his neck, and clouded his mind. How was he to find Leia and Han?


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14:

"I want to see Han."

That was the last thing that Princess Leia Organa remembered saying—well, it was her last clear memory. She remembered the needle prick in the crook of her arm…she tried to fight them off, didn't she? Pictures of hands coming towards her…one coming down across her face…rough hands, grabbing hands flashed in her mind. Now she was blindfolded and being led somewhere (to Han?) by Admiral Bloomstar himself. She could smell his cologne; a sharp, crisp scent overlaying the stink of the swamp. He held her upper arm; she knew she held her tight not because of any pain but because he was able to steer her body—thrusting, dragging—where he wanted to. However, that hand clutching her arm felt far away.

Bloomstar turned her to the right and jerked her to a stop.

"Where are we?"

"You asked to see the general."

"I—I didn't think…"

"All I want to do is make you happy."

But his words came through clenched teeth.

The door that she must have been standing in front of swished open. Bloomstar untied the blindfold and pulled it from her eyes. Leia blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the bright overhead light.

"Leia!"

The princess blinked some more to rid her eyes of the blur, but that action did little to clear her vision.

"Han…"

"You've worked so hard that I'm going to let you stay with him if you choose so."

Why wouldn't she—

Han stood up and Leia took several steps back. Bloomstar was keeping Han in the cell that replicated the one on the Death Star. The princess's respiration sped up, her stomach curdled, and her complexion paled to the stark shade of a Nippon flimsy.

Solo stopped in the middle of the cell with his arms hanging limp at his sides.

"So what is it, Princess? Here with General Solo…or your quarters?"

Her large brown eyes traveled around the cell and stopped on the pallet on which she had lay upon not too long ago. _It's not the Death Star. I'm on Deipre._

Leia's eyes lifted and fell on Han's face. He looked confused, hurt. The princess inhaled, straightened her back, and jerked her arm out of Bloomstar's grip.

"I'll stay here."

She caught the slight smile on Han's face and turned to see what Bloomstar's reaction was. He stood there silent with his mouth agape.

When the admiral collected his wits, he snapped his mouth shut, raised an eyebrow, and spoke. "As you wish, Your Highness." He embellished his words with a bow.

Although Han stood just meters before her, it took Leia all her strength to enter the cell. She walked up to Han, but she didn't embrace him. Instead, she turned around, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared down their captor. Bloomstar pressed his lips together and closed the door.

Once the admiral was gone, Leia broke out into a cold sweat, and her stomach clenched. She rushed over to the other end of the cell, pressed the refresher button and vomited. Then she vomited again. Tears slipped down her pallid cheeks—a byproduct of an upset stomach. Leia hated that side effect; it made her feel weak. _He will not win._

The princess wiped her mouth, shut the toilet, and closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen, leaned against the wall, and slid down until she was seated on the cold floor. She had the desire to lie down to cool herself, but she managed to resist that temptation. _No, Bloomstar will not win._

Two palms rested against the side of her head, eight fingers wrapped around her head, and two thumbs wiped away her tears. Leia opened her eyes and looked up into Han's face.

"He drugged me," she looked away.

Solo put a hand on the top of her head and tipped her face up. His hazel eyes peered into hers, and through the haze, she could see that he knew she was hiding something from him. At the moment Leia hated him for knowing her so well.

"This cell is a replication of the one I was held in on the Death Star," she whispered.

Han clenched his jaw; Leia knew he was holding back his anger, ire-filled words against Bloomstar. He didn't want to start a fight.

How loyal to the admiral did she feel?

Solo gathered her in his arms, carried her to the pallet, and laid her down. Then he lifted her head and sat down. With the greatest care, he placed her head on his lap. Leia's arms instinctively wrapped around his leg.

"Why did he drug you?"

"It's not the first time. Although it's been awhile."

"He discovered that we removed the oxytocin implant."

"I think so, but he drugged me before he discovered it was missing."

"To control you."

"Yes." Leia paused for a moment, then said, "How long have you been in here?"

"Not long. A few hours maybe? It's hard to tell in here."

 _I know._ "He's punishing me. He knows what this cell conjures up in me."

"Why's he punishing you?"

"I did something."

"What?"

"Bloomstar sat me in a chair in the middle of the room. His High Command was there before me. He had me…I could see through their eyes, see the flimsies before them. Bloomstar told me to tell him what I saw."

She inhaled. "Then he had me read their minds." Leia closed her eyes against the memory.

"You could read their minds?"

The princess cringed. "Like Luke." As if that made it okay.

"They all had weak minds?"

Something Luke told Han, Leia was certain of that. She knew he was gauging her ability to read his.

She wanted to lie to him, but…"No. None of them did. Bloomstar wanted me to…to tell him their thoughts."

"He's a Sith. Why couldn't he do that himself?"

"He's not a Sith. The Force…it's not as black-and-white as Luke believes." Leia lifted her head and looked up at Han. "Do you think that I'd fall prey to a Sith?"

"Of course not."

Leia laid her head back down on Han's lap. She didn't have to read Han's mind to know Han wasn't certain. "He's not all evil. The things he's done to me were necessary to hone my Force skills." She closed her eyes. "Anyhow, Bloomstar…he doesn't have the ability to read beings' minds that aren't weak. He wanted to see if I could do it.

I could. I discovered some of them feared him; others had ambitions. I told Bloomstar, not about the fear. He already knew that. I—I told him what the ambitious ones thought, their plans to take power."

Deep lines appeared at the corners of the princess's eyes as the memory came to mind. "Bloomstar waited until I finished with each one. Then he Force-choked them. He killed them," she whispered.

Han stroked her hair.

"It's not your fault."

 _It is_.

"You did what he wanted you to do. Why is he punishing you?"

"I…while I was reading his High Command's thoughts, I was able to get into Bloomstar's mind." Leia lifted herself off of Han's lap. "He lied. He planned on killing you if you chose to leave."

"I know."

"He sees you as an obstacle. The only reason he hasn't killed you is because he knows he'll lose all control of me. Killing you would cross a line, and he'd never get me back."

"He doesn't have you now."

Leia knew that was more of a question than a statement. "He does believe in making the galaxy a better place, and he believes the way to do that is to form a strong government."

"That doesn't erase the bad he's done to you."

"He's done what he believes was necessary."

Han expelled a forceful breath, and Leia pushed herself to a seated position. She looked away from Han.

"We've all done things that can be considered evil. Bloomstar's desire to better the galaxy is genuine, pure even."

Leia then turned her head and glanced at Han's profile. A white aura surrounded him; the light in the room was too bright. She turned away and covered her face with her hands.

She spoke through her fingers. "I was able to penetrate his mind easily and without him knowing. He fears me, but he's also in awe of me. He believes in me, but he fears my strength. He was so angry that I was able to penetrate his mind _while_ I was in the minds of his High Command, his thoughts turned blood red hot.

"He ordered his guards to drug me. That's all I remember clearly."

"He knows we removed the oxytocin implant."

"I don't know. Probably."

"I shouldn't have helped you remove it."

"No. I'm glad you did." Leia's hands slid down her face and her large brown eyes went far away. "It allowed me to discover the strengths of my powers."

"We can get outa here then."

She gripped the edge of the pallet; her knuckles turned white. "I can't."

"You mean, you won't. What did he drug you with?"

"I don't know, but that's not it. I'm…I'm not strong enough to leave yet."

"I don't like the sound of that."

She sighed. "I know you can't understand."

Han said nothing.

Leia bit her lower lip, and gazed into Han's eyes. "Please just hold me?"

Solo's bitter expression melted into love. He embraced her from behind and lowered her down so that they both lay upon the pallet. Leia took hold of his hands and closed her eyes, but sleep evaded her.

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Luke Skywalker smiled when he saw the top of a fortress sticking out of the fog. He closed his eyes and searched for Leia. She was there, and Han was with her. Luke sensed Leia's fatigue, the haziness in her mind. The Jedi reached out and touched her mind. He then recoiled.

Luke stepped back, shocked by the sharp pain that assaulted his mind when he touched Leia's. His sister didn't want Luke to contact her, but not because she feared for Han's safety. No, not even because of her captor. There was shame, anger pointed at herself. Luke tried again, but this time he couldn't find her in the Force. What had her captor done to her?

Leia was in more trouble than Luke originally thought. Urgency and impatience propelled him forward. Luke's carelessness created a chaotic noise as he rushed through the swamp; the only thing on his mind was Leia. He didn't even hear the roar that came from the direction in which he traveled.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

As Han Solo and Princess Leia were led through a maze of halls and elevators. _Forty-six paces down the hall to the elevator. Three floors down. Four guards outside. Sharp turn to the right. A squad of soldiers patrolling the area. Seventy-seven paces down another hall pass four corridors. Lift ride up six floors. One soldier operating the lift. A mean-looking son of a bitch. He could be hard to take out._ _A turn down the third corridor to the left. Another ride in a lift with another lift with two guards on the outside and an operator on the inside. A less intimidating man. Slight with piercing green eyes. Familiar look. Special Ops. Probably a former Imperial soldier. Operating a lift? One hundred twenty-three paces down a well-lit corridor…_

Solo tracked their path through Bloomstar's fortress in hopes to find a way to escape. From all the twists and turns and lifts there were taking, it was obvious that Bloomstar knew that Han would search for a way to escape. And Bloomstar had bound the former smuggler's hands behind his back. That would be another problem to deal with if Solo had the chance to escape. And then there was the matter of convincing Leia to escape with him.

Han pressed his lips together and stole a side-glance of Leia. She stared straight ahead and held her chin high as she walked a crooked line. Bloomstar didn't bind her hands, but he did have his goons drug Leia, which seemed unnecessary since her loyalty to their captor hadn't faded with the removal of the oxytocin implant. (Bloomstar had been injecting so many drugs into her, she couldn't be thinking straight—probably what that evil man wanted). Leia was questioning Bloomstar, though. There was the chance that she would see the admiral wasn't training her for something good.

Leia tripped and Han caught Leia's arm between his bound hands; Bloomstar caught the other. Han was about to pull Leia out of Bloomstar's hold, but the guard next to Han jerked him away. He glared at Bloomstar.

Then the soldiers leading them stopped in front of double-doors made of wood. There was no one guarding these doors. Han's brow lowered. Considering the security of the rest of the fortress that he had seen, it seemed odd that a passage was made of wood and that it was guard-less. Of course, Han was a prisoner; up to this point he had only seen the secure areas of a prison.

The wooden doors offered hope. If they could get passed the permametal doors and elevators, and if they could get past the soldiers who patrolled the prison sector, they had a chance of escaping. Han pressed his lips together. After all, they did escape the Death Star.

 _They let us go. Can't you see they're tracking the ship?_ Leia's words spoken so long ago in the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_ when they first met. That was his first conversation with the princess. The corners of his lips turned up; that conversation didn't go well.

Nevertheless, Han and Leia had escaped many places that seemed escape-proof. And Luke was on his way. If Leia believed that, it had to be true. Permametal doors, wooden doors, squads of Stormtroopers didn't hold them back in the past. Perhaps there were more wooden doors in this fortress. Leia probably had had the privilege of seeing more of Bloomstar's fort. If he could just convince—

Han's heart skipped a beat when the wooden doors in front of him opened.

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Luke Skywalker didn't have time to scream as he was dragged under the murky water. Something sharp dug into his ankle, and muddy water filled his lungs. His arms thrashed around as he tried to claw his way to the surface. A tentacle wrapped around his right hand, and Luke was pulled down once again. This was an instinctual creature that was only trying to satisfy his hunger; it should have been no problem for Luke to escape its clutches. Luke tried to call upon the Force. However, the Jedi's mind was red-filled with the turmoil that raged through Leia. He was being consumed by her rage, by her desire for revenge; it made him sick to his stomach. What could be happening to her?

Skywalker managed to steal a few breaths, but he could not shake off the creature. His mouth filled with mud and his consciousness began to float away. It was no use; Luke would not be able to save his sister…

Suddenly, the creature howled and released its hold on Luke. Black blood swirled around the Jedi as he floated away from the creature. Then two strong hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to the surface before pounding on his back. Luke coughed up the mud and struggled to catch his breath.

"Chewie!"

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Leia tripped over her feet, and Admiral Bloomstar caught one arm while Han caught the other. The princess looked up at the admiral; his gold eyes smiled down at her. Leia's brow furrowed as she puzzled over this man. She admired his lofty goals—he desired what she desired: a fair and democratic government that will bring order to the galaxy—

 _Is there anything fair in life?_ Alderaan exploded within her mind, her father's face…

She blinked the image away. With such lofty ideas, how could the princess not admire the admiral? With Bloomstar, Leia could make the galaxy fair. The cruelty in Bloomstar's methods of training, it was necessary, wasn't it? It did get her in touch with her emotions, her anger that always boiled underneath. His methods allowed her to free this anger, relieve herself from the burden of carrying her ire deep down. She learned how to harness this anger; it made her powerful.

Han's hands were ripped from her arm. Leia whipped her head to her left and looked up at him. Han's eyes were locked on the admiral; murder resided there. Leia swallowed down a shudder. She had never seen such contempt in his eyes, not even when he looked at Darth Vader.

Leia watched the guard pull Han away from her. She stole a glance at Bloomstar; he looked triumphant. The princess looked down at her feet as they walked a crooked line. She bit her lip. Why did Bloomstar keep her drugged?

 _He's trying to control you._ Han had told her in their prison as if he could read her mind.

Why? Leia had been a willing participant, hadn't she?

Han had removed the subcutaneous implant that pumped oxytocin into her brain, the one Bloomstar put in her. Maybe Han was right. Her attachment to Bloomstar…it didn't grow out of admiration; admiration came later. Bloomstar's methods, as seen through Han's eyes, were abusive, painful. Bloomstar's hate for the rebellion, the anguish he felt after his brother's death—anguish he still suffered—motivated his actions. Had this been the reason he tortured her? To get back at the rebellion, to get back at her father?

 _He wants what I want: a peaceful galaxy like I do._

Didn't he? Han was appalled at her willingness to do anything to bring peace to the galaxy. She looked back at him. More so, Han was aghast over how Leia still was willing to go along with Bloomstar even though he had hurt her so much. She turned her head away and watched her feet again. Han's feelings were right; what was she doing? He shoulders dropped and her stomach gurgled with shame. Han loved her, and she was becoming a monster. _Maybe I always was?_

Leia pressed her lips together. _Anger, fear, and aggression lead to the Dark Side,_ Luke had told her. He was always warning her about her ire. That's why she pushed it down so deep; she didn't want to become Darth Vader. Did her biological father lurk underneath her surface anyway? Could she commit the atrocities that Vader did?

Leia was letting her anger fuel her newly-found Force powers. And Han had witnessed this. No, he was never present during her training; he hadn't seen the what she could do.

And she hadn't harmed anyone—at the most just read their minds. She would never hurt anyone.

Admiral Bloomstar pulled her to a stop. Leia looked up. Her brow pulled together as she puzzled over the wooden door before her. It seemed out of place.

Bloomstar commanded the door to be opened, and it creaked open. Leia's stomach fell.

"Remi…Drek."

The remaining members of Leia's squad knelt in a line with other rebels who, she surmised, were Han's rescue team. She recognized Janko and Kreen, but not the other two.

"Where's Cameron and Darren?" Han asked.

"Unfortunately, they did not survive."

The princess glared at Bloomstar. "You let me believe they were dead. Why didn't you tell me they were alive?"

"They would've been a distraction." Bloomstar took her chin in his hand. "Your training takes priority to everything else. You wouldn't have wanted to be distracted, would you?"

Leia jerked her head out of his hand and took a step back. The admiral's face fell for a brief moment before he returned her glare. He then signaled six armed soldiers. They placed themselves behind the rebels.

"What's this?"

"The remnants of your squad and what's left of your rescue team will assist in your next training session," Bloomstar smugly smiled. "The rescue time. Hand-picked by General Solo himself."

The princess reached out to Bloomstar's mind, but she could not get through his defenses. She gulped down her unease.

"Unfortunately," Bloomstar continued, "they failed their mission." He walked in front of the line of men and women. "Of course, you didn't need rescuing."

"I'm not so sure of that," Leia mumbled.

The admiral's brow furrowed as he studied her. For the first time, he looked uncertain to Leia's eyes. But then he spoke. "I am giving you what you want. I'm making you powerful enough to bring peace to the galaxy."

The rebels exchanged looks with each other then looked at Han. This didn't go unnoticed by Leia. Then realization sucker-punched her in the gut so hard that she almost bent over. Her hand went to her stomach.

"It's time General Solo sees just how powerful you can be."

Leia started as the soldier behind Remi pulled the trigger of his blaster.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Princess Leia Organa jumped when the blaster bolt struck the back of Remi's head. The woman dropped forward and hit the ground with a thud.

"Who will be next?" Admiral Bloomstar sneered.

Leia snapped her head to the right, and her eyes landed on Kreen kneeling at the opposite end of the queue of rebels. Bloomstar's soldier behind Kreen squeezed the trigger of his blaster, and Kreen dropped to the ground in the same fashion as Remi.

"What do you want!"

"You have the power to stop this, Your Highness."

The princess's eyes zoomed to the soldier behind one of her would-be rescuer. Her brow furrowed as she fought through the haze of the drugs that coursed through her veins; the soldier dropped his blaster.

"Very good."

The soldier who stood behind Drek shot the other soldier's would-be victim.

"You have to be quicker than that."

Leia's ire rose to her throat. She whipped her head to the soldier behind Drek. Drek squeezed his eyes shut, but the blast never came. Before the soldiers standing in Drek's trajectory had a chance to kill the rebel, their blasters exploded in their hands. She cringed. Her eyes then zipped to the left. The soldier behind Janko fell back. Leia's eyes flashed red; the soldier guarding her dropped his blaster and gasped for air. Another cried out as his muscles contracted. That unlucky soldier dropped dead to the ground.

Leia lifted her chin, refusing to wither under the aghast stares of her audience. She felt ashamed but proud, powerless but powerful. Her actions horrified her—she wasn't going to give Bloomstar the pleasure of knowing that, though—yet the strength that coursed through her veins, the sight of what she had done—

The princess, bit her inner cheek. The last of the effects of the drugs lifted from her mind, leaving her with clarity. Who could stop her now?

Bloomstar's cackling broke the silence.

"So, General, what do you think of your precious princess now?"

Leia glanced at Han. His mouth hung agape, and his hazel eyes reflected, what? Horror? Fear? She looked away.

 _Please don't fear me. Please don't reject me._

Leia's pride melted away as she viewed her handiwork from Han's point-of-view. The spilt blood, the sharp smell of burnt metal, the eyes of the soldier that dropped dead because of her thoughts…

The princess pulled her shoulders back and glared at the admiral. "You've made you point. There's no need to continue this."

Bloomstar smiled. Leia narrowed her large brown eyes.

 _He's manipulating you._

Han's words screamed inside her mind. Bloomstar's plan to create a government—with force by using the Force—was flawed. Bloomstar had Force powers; why did he need her? Leia dropped her chin, and her cheeks reddened. _She,_ who held a coveted position in the new government, was _his_ ticket in. She was nothing more to him but a pawn. However, Leia now had the means to her desired end. What did she need him for?

The admiral's lip curled, and Leia widened her stance. The soldiers behind the rebels raised their blasters, aimed their blasters at Bloomstar, and…

"Leia! No!"

Leia stole a second-long glance at Luke Skywalker who stood in the doorway with Chewbacca.

The soldiers squeezed the triggers. Bloomstar's mouth dropped open, but he recovered with lightning speed. He raised his hand and deflected the blasts, sending them into Han's direction. The former smuggler cried out as two shots hit him in the chest and abdomen, and one grazed his temple.

Ire consumed Leia. She charged at Bloomstar, but an invisible force knocked her back and into the nearest wall. She crumpled to the ground. She blinked away the blood and fought to remain conscious. Leia looked up at Luke who hadn't moved from his position at the door; she expected to revulsion in his face.

 _I am stronger than him; that is what he always feared. That is why he discouraged my anger._

But revulsion wasn't what colored her brother's blue eyes. No, it wasn't revulsion. She swallowed the hard lump in her throat. It was horror in Luke's eyes; it was defeat.

Chewbacca's mournful howls broke the spell between the siblings. He knelt beside Han and pressed his hairy hands against his best friend's wounds. Leia bit the inside of her cheek, drawing blood. _Bloomstar will pay for this_ …

"It's too late, Skywalker. She is mine."

"I am no one's!"

"Leia, stop!"

Leia side-glanced at her brother. Wide-eyes and an agape mouth marred Luke's face as he was dragged along the floor by an invisible force. He tumbled and rolled, fighting against Leia, but he failed to break her hold on him. Luke found himself seated next to Han and Chewie.

The corner of Leia's lips curled up, and her eyes flashed red once again. She looked at the lightsaber hanging from Luke's belt. Luke's fingers scrambled as he tried to find purchase. Leia gritted her teeth, rose from the ground, and caught the Luke's saber as she charged Admiral Bloomstar. The admiral cringed and freed his beskar sword from its sheath. He blocked Leia's first blow. The force knocked Leia back, but she managed to keep her feet under her and charged her enemy again. This time the force of the The Mandalorian metal sword knocked her to her backside.

"Ungrateful, little imp!"

Bloomstar adjusted his hold on his weapon so that both hands were securely fixed on it, and strode over to Leia. He raised his sword over his head. All Leia could do was wait for the blow to come down on her.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

"No!" the Jedi screamed as Admiral Bloomstar's beskar sword came down on Leia.

Bloomstar hesitated before his blade met her head, allowing Leia to roll out of its trajectory and swipe the lightsaber towards her attacker's shin. Bloomstar yelled in pain. The green blade only managed to sear the skin and the admiral managed to stumble back away from her. The princess sprung to her feet, and the blade of the lightsaber deflected the beskar sword several times before the strength of Bloomstar's blows knocked her back to the ground. Leia swung the lightsaber side-to-side with one hand as she used the other to help her spider-crawl away from her on-coming enemy.

Luke's ire rose from his gut up, through his esophagus, and into his throat. He started to rise to his feet, but an invisible hand slapped him down. He shook his head to clear the affects. At first he suspected that it was Bloomstar who knocked him back to the ground, but he caught sight of his sister's eyes and gasped. In that moment, he realized that her powers surpassed Darth Vader's.

Luke was so focused on Leia that he didn't notice Bloomstar's soldiers had surrounded them. His eyes scanned the faces of these soldiers; their loyalty to Bloomstar radiated from their bodies. Several soldiers positioned themselves at the double doors, and nine others stood on the sidelines of the battle with their blasters pointed at Leia. Luke's blue eyes zipped to one closest to Leia. She had gained the upper hand, and the soldier squeezed the trigger of his blaster. Luke waved his hand, and the bolt hit the admiral's shoulder. Bloomstar yelled and renewed his attack on Leia.

"He's gonna kill her, Luke," Han Solo said through clenched teeth. "Stop him."

Luke looked at his best friend, and he bit the inside of his cheek. Chewbacca garruued and harrowed.

"I'm fine pal. It's Leia you should be worried about. Luke, do something!"

Han was anything but fine. Sweat beaded upon Han's forehead, his mouth was pulled back in a cringe, and his body trembled as he continued to bleed out. Luke looked at Leia; she pulled her eyes away from Bloomstar, and the admiral almost cut off her arm. The Jedi dug his teeth deeper into the inside of his cheek, drawing blood. He placed his hand on the wound on Han's chest and closed his eyes. He hadn't mastered healing powers, but he managed to stop the bleeding. The Jedi then moved to the wound on Han's abdomen. He pressed the wound harder than he did Han's chest, and his brow furrowed under the stain of concentration. It still bled but the flow of blood slowed. Chewie dug into his satchel and pulled out bacta gel and bandages. Han's wounded shoulder was superficial, but the others were deep, and Luke wasn't sure of the internal damage the blasts had caused. He bandaged Han's shoulder as Chewie ministered to his chest and stomach.

Luke looked back at Leia; she was back on her feet and on the attack. She swung the blade of the lightsaber up, and the move pushed Bloomstar back. Leia searched out Han. Luke could see her relief as she saw that they had taken care of him. However, this distraction put Leia at a disadvantage. Bloomstar sneered as he advanced on her. She dunked and stumbled back as his beskar sword swiped at her head. Unable to keep her balance, she landed on her back.

Bloomstar pointed his sword at her neck.

"Let's end this foolishness, Princess."

She gritted her teeth and hit the sword away before rolling between Bloomstar's legs. She glided up to her feet, spun around and brought the light saber down on him.

"You cannot beat me!"

Bloomstar blocked her strike before she did damage.

"Your anger is uncontrolled. It makes you weak."

She breathed hard as they circled each other.

"Not from where I am standing."

The princess rushed her enemy, swinging the lightsaber with abandon. He easily deflected her attack.

"Your anger makes you powerful, but you still lack control. Let me finish your training."

The admiral lowered his blade when Leia glanced at Luke.

"Do you think your brother will teach you what I can? No. He wants to keep you weak."

The fire in Leia's large brown eyes lessened.

"Leia, don't listen to him!"

"Remember our goal to create a government ruled by peace. Your _Jedi_ brother will stop you."

Leia's brow furrowed.

"You still need me as a mentor."

Leia's expression softened.

"Yes, Your Highness. You still need me. I will make you more powerful than your brother."

The princess glanced at Luke. He reached out his hand towards Leia; the lightsaber in her hand shivered. She narrowed her eyes on her brother, and his hand fell to his side and the lightsaber ceased trembling.

"Leia! You know what you're doing!"

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Leia used the Force to push Luke to the ground; Bloomstar sneered at him.

"You won't hold me back," she breathed.

Luke burned red hot, and Leia fed off his anger. She blocked the admiral's blows with such might that he had to backpedal. The beskar blade sparked against the green blade of the lightsaber, and the admiral fought to keep his feet under him. He grimaced as Leia pressed forward. Her untrained swings were wild and sloppy, but she forced her nemesis to take the defense. Bloomstar barely managed to block her blows. She slashed and sliced and brought the green blade down on Bloomstar's head. His beskar sword caught the lightsaber inches from his face.

Han then howled in pain and his body convulsed. Chewbacca roared and grabbed his head. Under Leia's control, Luke could do nothing. Leia pulled her lips back and exposed her clenched teeth. Bloomstar's face turned dark red and his eyes bulged as he began to wheeze. Leia swung the lightsaber with more force as the man fought to breathe.

"Let him go!"

Han's body relaxed, and Chewie ceased howling. Leia renewed her attack with fervor. The green blade came down on Bloomstar's shoulder. He cried out and deflected the lightsaber's blow before she could do more damage. She spun around, dunked down, and kicked her leg into Bloomstar's. He yelped as her foot hit with the wound she inflicted on his ankle, but Leia failed to knock him to the ground. She somersaulted, gracefully popped up to her feet, and slashed the admiral's back.

Then Luke broke free of her hold. Leia growled as she looked over at her brother, allowing Bloomstar to go on the offense. She backpedaled as she swung the lightsaber this way and that way as Bloomstar closed in on her. She yelped as his blade slashed her arm and cut a line through the top layer of the skin on her abdomen. She doubled over and barely blocked Bloomstar's next blow. Leia turned her body, wielding the weapon with one hand while holding the other out for balance. Her free hand touched a wall behind her. She brandished the lightsaber with both hands, but her strength barely held the admiral at bay. The admiral sliced the air, and his beskar blade knocked the lightsaber out of Leia's hand. She dropped to the ground, rolled through his legs again, and scrambled to her feet as her large brown eyes searched for the lightsaber. Bloomstar whirled around. He used the Force to knock Leia back down to the ground and stood over her.

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Luke moved his hand in a circle; the soldiers surrounding them dropped their blasters. He closed his fingers into a fist, and they paled and fell to the ground unmoving. The soldiers at the door fired at Luke, but he deflected the bolts with his hands. The lasers returned to where they began and killed the soldiers. Luke reached out, and his lightsaber flew into his hand. He lowered chin and stalked towards Bloomstar and his sister.

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Leia's eyes widened as she saw Luke's eyes flash yellow then red. She narrowed her eyes, but Luke kept her at bay with the wave of his hand. Her ire then drained out of her as he sucked it into himself. Her heart sped up and she swallowed down the bile in her throat; she had never been more frightened in her life than at this moment. The princess fell to the ground, curled over, held her abdomen, and wretched. She fought to breathe between emptying the contents of her stomach.

Leia wiped her eyes with the back of her arm, and looked up. She gasped when she saw that she was no longer in the courtyard of Bloomstar's fortress but in a stone room with a checkered floor. Luke was there, but he paid her no mind. He was busy swinging his lightsaber and sashaying forward. The green blade's arcs stopped abruptly and sparked.

"Luke. Where are we?"

Luke didn't look at her; he continued battling an unseen entity.

"The Jedi Temple."

She looked around at the walls.

 _There is no emotion, there is peace._

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony._

 _There is no death, there is the Force._

"What's this?"

Still fighting someone Leia couldn't see, Luke calmly answered, "The Jedi Code."

"The Jedi Code."

Leia rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. No emotion, no ignorance, no passion, no chaos, no death; Admiral Bloomstar encouraged her anger and fear. He kept her ignorant. He encouraged her passion for power, a passion she didn't even know she had when he first captured her. Her mind was chaotic and blinded by her ire.

However, he wasn't training her to be a Jedi.

 _The Force isn't black-and-white._ That's what Bloomstar told her. However, he only taught her how to harness her Force powers by training her to use her anger and fear—the very emotions that Luke warned her about. How could she let that man blind her?

He wasn't the one who blinded her; chose to be blind. Leia dropped her chin and closed her eyes as she was overwhelmed with dizziness.

Leia opened her eyes and found herself on a desert planet. The night air caused her to shiver. She fell back on her backside to avoid the blue blade of a lightsaber. A hooded figure wielded the weapon. His hate and anger radiated off him and penetrated her as he slashed through the Tusken Raiders—the masked beings that she read about as a child—who tried to escape the wrath of his lightsaber. He struck them down one-by-one; even the children were his victims. Behind him lay a woman, her cloudy blue eyes stared at nothing. Leia squeezed her eyes shut rolled to the side to avoid getting his by the blue blade.

The princess opened her eyes as an intense heat seared her skin. She found herself on a landing pad surrounded by lava. The hooded figure no longer shrouded himself with his cloak. A young man with Luke's blue eyes narrowed on a pregnant woman. He held out a hand towards her, and she struggled to breathe. Her peaked eyebrows and fearful eyes reflected something more akin to sorrow than the physical pain she endured. The hooded figure dropped his hand, and the woman fell to the ground. Then he headed towards Leia.

The man drew his lightsaber. Leia squeezed her eyes shut as she waited to be struck down. A hiss sounded behind her—a hiss she recognized as belonging to a lightsaber. She turned around to see an older man rushing towards the younger one. They battled each other, jumping to black rocks that jutted out of the lava.

The battling men faded. She now stood in a dark room with large windows that framed a space battle. On a throne sat the Emperor himself. Leia shivered with fear. She turned her head when she heard a familiar voice. It was Luke and he stood on a catwalk staring down at her. She looked down at her hands. She wore black gloves; her hands were now large and strong and unfamiliar. She held a lightsaber with a red blade pointed at the floor. She could hear herself breathing—steady and unstressed—though she couldn't be more afraid.

"I feel the good in you; the conflict."

Leia looked up at Luke and walked towards him.

"You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before, and I don't believe you'll destroy me now."

She lifted her blade up and heard a deep voice inside her mind. _You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. If you will not fight, then you'll meet your destiny._

She swung the blade back and threw the lit lightsaber with one hand at the posts that held up the catwalk. Horrified, she watched the blade cut through the posts; she closed her eyes as Luke slid into the dark below.

 _No._

The hum of a lightsaber and mechanical breathing prompted her to open her eyes. She was nestled in an alcove sitting next to Luke. Luke didn't acknowledge her presence. Leia's fear tore at her lungs, and she grabbed Luke's hand. Still he did not react.

 _You cannot hide forever, Luke._

 _I will not fight you._

 _Give yourself to the Dark Side. It's the only way to save your friends._

Leia squeezed his hand tighter.

 _Yes. Your thoughts betray you._

She looked at Luke who shut his eyes tight.

 _Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for…sister._

Luke opened his eyes. He shrank back into the dark and shook his head.

 _So you have a twin sister. Obi Wan was wise to hide her. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the Dark Side, perhaps she will._

Luke's fear melded with his ire, and it stole her breath.

"NO!"

Luke activated his lightsaber and charged Darth Vader. He swung his weapon wildly and without discipline just as she did when battling Admiral Bloomstar.

"What have I done?"

Leia's head spun, and she grabbed her ears. She then pushed herself to her feet; her legs wobbled. Luke now stood over Bloomstar who lay on the ground panting. He held his lightsaber above his head. The princess struggled to run, but she managed to put herself between the Admiral and Luke.

"He held his lightsaber above his head. The princess struggled to run, but she managed to put herself between the Admiral and Luke.

Just as Luke brought down his blade, she yelled, "You can't, Luke!"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

The air left Luke's lungs as he brought the blade of his lightsaber to a grinding halt mere inches from his sister's head.

"Leia," he breathed.

"You can't," she whispered.

The surviving rebels' and soldiers' shock broke through Luke's skin; Han's and Chewbacca's terror penetrated his blood; Bloomstar's elation slammed against his ribs. However, none of the emotions that filled the room could distract Luke from the woman standing before him.

"There's no going back if you do," she whispered as she wrapped her hands over his.

There was the slash of a green blade, a horrified look on Leia's face, and clean split in her head.

Luke screwed his eyes shut against the image. His heart thumped against his chest, and the cold air burned his lungs. His blind fury almost cost him what he held most dear in his life…

 _Your feelings for her, they are strong,_ Yoda had said to him in the Jedi Temple. _Attached to her you are. Like your father was to your mother._

Luke slowly opened his eyes, and Leia was alive and well, standing in front of him. His lightsaber glowed and hummed between them; its energy vibrated through their beings. Luke looked at Leia's delicate fingers. They were bathed in green light and wrapped around his. Her hands were warm, sheltering. Strong.

Luke exhaled as his eyes traveled up the blade and stopped at Leia's face. She stared into his eyes, a penetrating stare filled with desperation. He could see into her mind. Her anger had waned but her fear pounded against her tranquil demeanor. At first, he thought she feared him (he couldn't blame her if she did), but he quickly realized that she feared _for_ him. Guilt rushed over him, and he pulled his dark emotions into himself.

Luke relaxed his stance and deactivated his lightsaber. Leia gave him a small smile before squeezing his hands and dropping hers. Her fear waned, and he unclenched his fist; the lightsaber clattered against the ground. Leia's smile widened, and her chest rose and fell in rhythm with hers.

"I…"

Chewbacca roared.

"Luke!" Han yelled.

Luke tore his eyes from Leia. Though he staggered, Bloomstar had found his feet. The admiral lifted his beskar sword, and charged towards Leia. She twisted around, and her eyes widened in horror. Luke summoned his weapon. Rage burned through his veins. His ire was so great…he couldn't…


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

"No," Luke breathed as Bloomstar, beskar sword drawn, rushed towards Leia. The Jedi stretched his fingers out, and his lightsaber, which lay on the ground next to him, trembled. His fingers then curled into a fist.

 _I can't let Leia die, but_ …

Luke grabbed Leia's arm, whirled her around, and blocked her with his body. He clenched his jaw together as he prepared to be impaled by Bloomstar's sword.

"No, Luke!"

His sister tried to move from her position, but Luke pushed her back. Just as the blade was about to sink into his flesh, a crossbow screamed, and Bloomstar crumbled to the ground.

Luke let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. He turned around to face Leia. She pulled her large brown eyes off Chewbacca and raised them to Luke. She was pale. Blood seeped through the sleeve of her shirt, and it covered the hand she held against her midsection. Her legs trembled as she took a few steps towards him. Luke closed the distance between them and caught her before she hit the ground.

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Leia slowly opened her eyes. She scanned her environment. A nightlight glowed in the far corner. Where was she? The room resembled Han's cabin on the _Millennium Falcon_. Was this another of Admiral Bloomstar's tricks?

The princess started to push herself into a seated position, but intense pain forced her to lie back down. Every part of her body ached, but her head throbbed the most. She moaned as she lifted her hand to her head. She raised it halfway up before furrowing her brow. Bruises and scrapes soiled the pallid skin of her arm. She ran her hand along the marks—some small, others large, a few shaped like fingers, all various shades of black, purple, yellow, and red—and stopped at a white bandage. She probed it with her fingers and winced before lowering her arm back down to the bed.

Leia scrutinized the room with more care than before, searching for a tell-tale sign that she was, indeed, in Han's cabin. The familiar rumble of the _Falcon's_ engines penetrated her body—an easy fake if she was still Bloomstar's captive. Her eyes sought out the dresser. It was situated on the wall across from the bed. Han's socks stuck out of the top drawer. That was something Bloomstar couldn't fake, wasn't it?

Leia gritted her teeth together and forced herself to sit up. A sharp pain stabbed her abdomen. She lifted her white shirt up. A bacta bandage spanned her midsection. She bit her lip as she slid her fingers over it, remembering the searing line the tip of Bloomstar's sword made as it sliced her skin. It hurt, but she had felt worse pain in her life. She experienced worse pain at the hands of Bloomstar.

Holding her hand against her abdomen, Leia swiveled her body and dropped her feet to the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth, waiting for the pain to wane. Once it did, she pushed herself to her feet and then crossed the room to the dresser. She pushed Han's socks back into the top drawer before opening the third one and peering inside. Her clothes. Bloomstar couldn't possibly imitate this detail. Still…she rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a small box. She opened it and sighed as she pulled out a small chip. She pressed her thumb against it, and a picture of herself as a child with mother and father—her adopted mother and father, Leia had to remind herself—appeared. She closed her eyes; Bloomstar couldn't replicate this little treasure.

An image of Admiral Bloomstar's head exploding…

The princess opened her eyes, and the tension in her shoulders eased. She was safe aboard the _Falcon_ and Bloomstar was dead. He couldn't hurt Han or her brother anymore; he couldn't hurt her. She squeezed the chip, and the picture disappeared. She returned it to the box, slipped the box under the disarray of shirts, and closed the drawer.

Leia walked over to the door. She placed her hand upon the latch, and it slid open. She stepped into the corridor and followed it to the main living space. There Drek and Ali were hunched over the table playing an intense game of holochest. They lifted their heads.

"Your Highness."

Leia nodded at them; they looked upon her with trepidation before dropping eye contact with her. She lowered her chin and hugged herself before walking across the living space. She followed another corridor that led to the medical cabin. Leia stopped at the door. Chewbacca sat on an oversized chair—oversized for Leia; perfect for him—next to Han who lay in the bed. The Wookie stood up, placed a hand on her shoulder, and left the room. Leia took Chewie's seat and looked at Han. She didn't know if he was unconscious or just asleep. She hugged herself with her free hand, pulled her legs to her chest, rested the balls of her feet on the edge of the chair, and put her chin on her knees.

Was she relieved that Han wasn't awake? Leia closed her eyes; she wasn't sure. Of course, she wanted to be reassured that he was all right, but what would she say to him? She's sorry she didn't believe him about Bloomstar? Sorry he didn't leave when Bloomstar gave him the chance? That she didn't go with him? She's sorry for the pain he endured? Sorry that she sent those blaster shots towards the admiral that he deflected in Han's direction? She was sorry he was shot because of her?

Sorry just didn't seem sufficient.

Han squeezed her hand, and Leia opened her eyes.

"Leia," he croaked.

Leia opened her mouth but words failed her.

"Are you okay?" Han asked. "Are you in pain? You're so bruised up. Get Chewie to give you something. Oh, I was so worried about you. Lemme see your stomach."

"I'm fine."

Han pushed himself up on his elbows. Leia cringed inside as he winced.

"Come'n, let me see how your wound's healing."

Leia dropped her feet to the ground and stood up. She lifted her shirt. Han pulled it up a little higher and peered at the bacta bandage, running his finger above the injury. The tightness in his posture relaxed.

"Looks like its healin' nicely. How is your arm?"

Leia pushed his hands away, pulled her shirt down, and stepped back. "It's fine. I'm fine."

Han caught her hand before she could retreat from him any farther. He twisted her arm to get a better look at the injury.

"Luke insisted on using the last of the bacta bandages on me. I told him not to."

"I'm glad he did."

Han let go of her arm. "You were out for a few of days. We couldn't wake you up. Exhaustion, Chewie said. I just…I was scared that it was more than that." He slid his hand down her arm and kissed her hand.

Tears welled up in Leia's large brown eyes.

"I…I'm sorry…I…I'm sorry."

Han's brow furrowed. "For what?"

She swallowed back her tears.

"For everything. For not escaping with you when we had the chance."

He squeezed her hand again. "Hey, that is _not_ your fault. You hear me? Bloomstar kept you pretty drugged up and was fillin' your head with some crazy ideas."

Some of those crazy ideas were hers, weren't they?

"I didn't have to go along with him."

"And how would you've done that?"

Leia looked in to his hazel eyes. They challenged her assertion but were filled with love and acceptance. She dropped her eyes to their interlocked hands.

"There's no way you could have, Sweetheart. Things were out of your control."

She raised her eyes to him once more. "Doesn't make it right."

"Will you listen to yourself? This is not your fault. Bloomstar would've never let us leave alive."

She shrugged. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," he said.

He grimaced as he dropped his feet to the floor.

"No, you aren't."

"I think I'm a better judge of that."

"You shouldn't get up."

"What? Are you gonna stop me?"

"Maybe."

A smile cracked Han's face.

"I'd like to see your-pint-sized-self try."

"I'll just go get Chewie."

"I can take him on."

This time it was Leia who smiled. Han's own widened.

"He was here a moment ago. I don't think he'd be okay with you— "

"He's just bein' a worry wart."

"I'd feel better if you'd stay in bed."

Han studied her. "Only if you promise to stay with me."

He scooted over and patted the bed. Leia climbed in next to him, rested her head on his arm, and curled herself into a ball. Han stroked her hair with his free hand.

"Bloomstar's fortress was well-guarded. How'd we get out?"

"Drek and the rest rounded up the remaining soldiers in the courtyard, and gagged and cuffed them, took their commlinks. Then he, Ali, Janko, and Luke dressed in the Bloomstar's men's uniforms and escorted us out. Luke made those who got too curious look the other way."

"How'd Luke and Chewie get in and find us?"

"They were more covert than we were about our escape. Luke used the Force, mostly."

Leia nodded. Han kissed the top of her head. Feeling safer than she had in a long time, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

Han Solo awoke when Leia jerked. She lay with her back to him curled up in a fetal position. Han frowned; she often moved in her sleep, but that didn't deter his concern. For as long as he knew her, she was plagued with nightmares, and no matter how tight he held her, he couldn't deter them. Leia's respiration changed, and Han surmised that this last nightmare woke her up. She sniffed but lay still. Han fought the urge to roll over and wrap his arm around her. When a nightmare made her cry, Leia preferred to be left alone. So he did what he usually did: feign sleep. The bed shifted and sprung back. He heard her pad across the floor before the door swished open.

Han opened his eyes and sighed. Bloomstar did a number on Leia, and she hadn't had a chance to process it all. He hadn't the chance to process it. There was no way Han could understand what she went through, what she could do, and he feared that that would prevent her from talking to him about her experience. Hopefully, she'd talk to Luke.

Her brother. Han was still getting used to that. He couldn't honestly say that he wasn't jealous when Leia turned to Luke for comfort. However, when it came to the Force, Luke was the only one who could help her. The memory of how she controlled the thoughts and actions of Bloomstar's soldiers just by looking at them invaded his mind. She controlled them like Luke could. Only Leia didn't have to hold out her hand to do it; he wouldn't be able to tell when she was using the Force. Could she do control his thoughts and actions?

Luke said that he could only use this mind-control power on the weak-minded, and Han didn't have a weak mind. However, this ability of Luke's still sent tingles up Han's spine.

 _Would_ Leia use the Force to control his thoughts and actions? He rubbed his chin. No, she would never do that to him; Han was certain of that. However, the talents she exhibited, the power that she had that went beyond mind and action control, didn't sit easy with him. Did he fear her?

 _Leia is still Leia._

With a lot of anger. Her ire gave her fire, drove her to change the galaxy. Was her anger greater now? Han imagined it would be based on what he knew about what Bloomstar put her through. Could she stop herself from using the Force to benefit herself? Would Luke be around to prevent her from "turning to the Dark Side" if she couldn't? What would happen to her if she did turn? Han was certain he'd lose her. If her anger and hate eclipsed her emotions…how could she experience love? His heart picked up his pace at the thought of life without Leia.

 _You almost let her die on the Death Star._

Han cringed at the thought. It was a thought that plagued him every now-and-then, but that didn't make that thought any easier. He could still hear the conversation he had with Luke in the hangar control room on the Death Star:

 _If you rescue her, the reward could be…_

 _What?_

 _Well, more than you can imagine._

 _I don't know. I can imagine quite a bit._

Han pressed his lips together. Luke was right; his reward for rescuing her was more than he did imagine. He would do anything for her. Han closed his eye, folded his hands on his abdomen, and replayed his favorite memories of Leia.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Luke sat in the gun turret, resting his foot on the control console and his elbow on his knee. The passing stars enhanced his blue eyes as he watched them zoom pass the _Millennium Falcon_. His respiration was deep, controlled, an exercise Yoda taught him on Dagobath so long ago. A life time ago. Another life. He recalled who he was then: optimistic, eager, impatient for adventure and heroism. So bright-eyed and so innocent. Naïve.

The Light Side, the path of the Jedi…no matter what Yoda preached, Luke had no doubt then that he'd ever struggle with following that path. How could he turn to the Dark Side? That seemed impossible back then.

But that was so long ago. Luke closed his eyes and attempted to put himself in the past, feel what it was like to be him before the rebellion. To no avail. Young Luke Skywalker was lost to him. He would never feel that optimistic again. Luke opened his eyes. He wasn't truly pessimistic now, but he was full of self-doubt and uncertainty. Lost is the kind of conviction that made him believe Darth Vader had good in him. Luke risked his life to prove that, maybe more to prove it to his late mentors than to himself. Maybe more to prove it to Leia. The then-aspiring Jedi wasn't wrong; his father hadn't abandoned all of who he once was, but it almost cost Luke his soul. Now, Luke wasn't even certain that the good inside himself would always win over his darkness.

The Jedi glanced down and found himself looking at the controls of the gun turret. When was the last time he used it? He couldn't recall the last time, but he remembered the first. They had just rescued Leia and escaped the Death Star. A tickle of excitement and pride—he not only rescued a princess but shot down every TIE fighter that came into his scope—itched the back of his neck, and he absent-mindedly scratched it. That victory cost lives; those pilots he shot down, the Stormtroopers they killed on the Death Star, they had families, hopes, fears, and desires. They were just like him.

However, he didn't think about that then. All he thought about was that feisty, fearless princess that didn't blink when they were trapped in the detention center on the Death Star.

 _This is some rescue. When you came in here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?_

Luke's lips stretched into a small close-mouth smile. Leia certainly was something. He wanted nothing more than to be her hero. His smile faded. That feeling, the desire to save her at any cost…that led him to abandon his training and rush off to Bespin. Instead of rescuing her, he ended up barely escaping capture by Darth Vader. Leia had to rescue him.

And now…now, once again, Luke rushed off to rescue his sister, this time from the hands of Admiral Bloomstar—a nemesis he underestimated. If Bloomstar didn't turn Leia, Luke sensed he would've loved nothing more than to bring Luke down and make him turn to the Dark Side.

The admiral couldn't _make_ Luke do anything; if he had turned, it would've been because he gave in to the Dark Side. Leia came to his rescue again; she kept him from turning. Had she not stepped in front of Bloomstar…

What lay ahead of him if he kept making the same mistakes?

Skywalker bit the inside of his cheek. He almost killed Leia. If his reflexes were mere seconds slower, if she hadn't broken his blind rage, she would be dead. Because of him.

Luke's stomach turned as the image of that vision he had, the one where she was lying before him with her head split open, crashed his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut to erase it. His attachment to her was strong, too strong. Just like the attachment his father had for his mother. That cost Anakin Padme's life.

Luke's love for Leia almost cost him her life. It almost cost him his soul.

He removed his foot from the console. "You should be resting."

Leia sat herself down on the top rung of the ladder.

"I can't rest."

Luke nodded; he already knew that. He couldn't help sense the rampant thoughts and inner turmoil that raged within her. The mental damage Bloomstar did to her would last longer than the physical damage he inflicted. However, Luke didn't have the strength to soothe her.

"Use the breathing techniques to calm yourself," he said without turning to look at her.

Leia said nothing. Luke reached into her mind but she blocked him. He frowned as he swiveled around and looked up.

"I can't help you."

"I know. I was hoping I could help you."

Luke turned back toward the racing stars. "I don't think you can."

"Let me try."

Luke pressed his lips together.

She dropped her eyes and nodded. "I'm the problem." She paused. "That's why you've made yourself scarce over the last couple of days. Han said that he barely saw you while I was out."

"I just needed to think."

Leia dropped her chin, stood up, and turned to leave.

Luke swiveled the seat towards her. "Leia, wait."

She froze but she didn't turn around.

"I love you."

She twisted her torso and head towards him. "And that's the problem."

Luke looked away. "Doesn't change how I feel."

They fell into a heavy silence.

"I'm gonna have to leave," Luke whispered as he turned away again.

She nodded.

"My attachment to you…"

"I know. I was in the Jedi Temple. I don't know how."

"It was the Force."

"The Force." Leia sighed. "I've had enough of that."

"I shouldn't have feared what would happen if you I trained you."

"Where we're you wrong?"

"I _was_ wrong. If I had trained you—"

"It could've been the same turn out."

"He trained you to embrace the Dark Side. I could've given you the tools to resist him."

"I don't think I could resist him. He dangled the possibility of a peaceful society. My desire for…it was just too strong."

"He kept you drugged."

"My anger was too great. Is, maybe. I…I'm like _him_."

"You're nothing like our father." Luke sensed her bristle; she hated when he referred to Darth Vader as their father. "You used the Dark Side, but you didn't turn."

"You stopped me."

"And you stopped me," Luke whispered. "I almost killed you."

"I knew you wouldn't."

"Still…I wanted nothing more than to kill Bloomstar. I would've if…"

"Didn't you want to kill the Emperor?"

"Not in the same way."

"Maybe…" she sat down on the ladder rung. "maybe things aren't so…black-and-white as you believe."

He turned to her again. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…maybe using the Dark Side when needed…maybe it's necessary."

"It could never be necessary."

She sighed. "I don't know. Bloomstar said that the Force isn't a matter of good and evil. It's shades of gray. That made a lot of sense to me."

"Leia— "

"Hear me out. You said that…Anakin Skywalker," the name was awkward in her mouth, "was to bring balance to the Force."

"Yeah?"

"When he was training as a Jedi, the Jedi were the only dominant Force users. They had the power. When Anakin became Darth Vader, he turned to the Sith and wiped out the Jedi. How did that bring balance to the Force?"

Luke pursed his lips.

"And then you defeated the Emperor— "

"Our father was the one who killed him."

"Nevertheless, his actions wiped out the Sith, and you were the only remaining Jedi. Maybe Vader brought balance to the Force by conceiving you— "

"Us."

"Us. But maybe it's you who is the Chosen One."

"I can't be."

"Maybe you are meant to _evolve_ the Jedi."

"Evolve?"

"You can't have good without evil. There is no balance without the evil. There are no Sith—at least, none that we know of. Without the Sith, there is just Jedi."

"I'm the only one."

"But you won't be if you train other Force users."

"Do you know what you're saying?"

"I'm not saying that you need to erase all that you learn. Just maybe, you need to open your mind. Like that whole attachment thing. What kind of life is that?"

"It's not the way of the Jedi."

"But it _is_ the reason Darth Vader turned. It's why you almost turned."

"That's why it's dangerous."

"Because it's forbidden is why it's dangerous. Because you're only seeing things in black-and-white still. If attachment was allowed, then there would be no reason to fight it. You are human, Luke. It is in our nature to attach to others and to love. I know I can never stop loving Han."

"I don't think I can stop loving you."

"The Jedi Code ignores this innate trait."

"The Jedi are supposed to be above innate traits."

"How? You can't not be human. You cannot deny what—who—you are." Leia propped her elbows on her knees and held her chin in her hand. "Everything evolves. To not evolve is to make the mistakes of the past. To die."

"It's a dangerous line you are balancing."

"I didn't say it would be easy. The Jedi path will be harder than before." She paused, allowing Luke to soak up her words. "Maybe that's how you bring balance to the Force."

Luke lowered his chin and stared at the gun controls without seeing it. Her thoughts on the Force swirled in his mind. Maybe it was Leia who was to bring balance to the Force. He looked up but she had already retreated up the ladder.


	21. Chapter 21

**To the guest that gave me writing tips: Thank you. I greatly appreciate your input. =)**

Chapter 21:

Princess Leia Organa stared at the far wall as the interim government meeting took place around her. Mon Montha was speaking, but she didn't hear what the older woman was saying. Instead, Leia replayed the conversation she had with Luke their last night on the _Millennium Falcon._

" _I mean…maybe using the Dark Side when needed…maybe it's necessary."_ She had told him.

" _It could never be necessary."_ He countered.

Her suggestion bothered Luke more than anything. After she left him in the gun turret, she felt him mull it over, sensed his concern for her. Concern that maybe stretched to the galaxy. Admiral Bloomstar had taught her only to harness the Dark Side and not the Light, and using the Dark Side made her powerful. His intent was for her manipulate her colleagues, bend their will to hers. Or rather, his. And if that didn't work, then he meant for her to control the government by force. She would've been no better than the Emperor. Or Bloomstar would've been the "emperor." No, Bloomstar made a mistake. After he introduced her to the power of the Dark Side, she no longer needed him. Did the admiral realize that? Maybe at the end. She doubted that Bloomstar would've trained her in the Force had he foreseen the monster he would create.

Maybe Luke was right; maybe there would be no situation so dire that could only be remedied by using the Dark Side. Leia had used it, and it made her feel powerful—she _was_ powerful—and the more she felt powerful the more she desired more power.

And here Leia was, sitting in an interim government assembly, with the ability to bend her colleagues' will to hers. Peace would come—she was sure of that—but at what cost to her? What cost to the galaxy? She shivered; just knowing that she had this power…it frightened her. While she thought that she could fight her desires in this moment—the horror of what Bloomstar taught her were fresh in her mind—she wasn't sure if she could trust herself to not give into the temptation of using the Dark Side in the future.

The princess bit her lip; she couldn't take a roll in the soon-to-be-formed permanent government, and the path of a Jedi was also not a role she could take. Her fear of becoming Darth Vader overwhelmed her.

So, what would she do?

"Luke," Leia breathed.

As a sudden emptiness ate at her heart, she stood up.

"Your Highness?"

Leia looked at Mon Montha and blinked. "Uh…excuse me."

Without looking back, she rushed towards the door.

"Your Highness!"

She didn't turn around, nor did she stop. Leia held her the skirt of her dress as she ran down the corridor. She turned the corner and bumped into Han.

"Leia! I was just comin' to—Leia wait!"

Leia recovered her steps and continued her path. She turned down a few more corners and sprinted down long corridors until she reached the exit of the government building. She crossed the street, took the steps two at a time up the staircase of the parking garage, and jumped into her speeder. The princess maneuvered her way through the traffic, muttering Corellian curses under her breath at every stoplight. Finally, she reached the hangar.

She hopped out of her speeder and ran to the entrance of the hangar. The guard held up his hand, but Leia pushed past him. Two guards began pursuing her through the hangar. She stopped in the middle of the hangar.

A guard grabbed her arm. "You're in violation of— "

"No, I'm not."

The guard released her. The other guard stepped in front of her, and relaxed his stance.

"Your Highness. I didn't realize it was you. Still, you can't…" His voice trailed off when he realized that she wasn't paying attention to him. He looked in the direction at which she was staring. When he saw Luke Skywalker loading his X-wing, he signaled to the other guard to leave her be. They walked away in silence.

Luke looked up. Leia bit the inside of her cheek to hold back her tears. He met her eyes and gave her a small nod before returning his attention back to the task at hand. Leia curled her toes in her shoes to stop herself from running to him.

"Leia…" Han panted. "What's…gotten in…to you?"

She didn't answer him. He grabbed her arm with the intent to turn her around but then stopped.

"Where's Luke goin'?"

"I don't know."

"He didn't tell you?" Han asked.

Leia shook her head.

"Well, let's go ask him."

Leia placed her hand on his arm.

"No."

"Well, at least we can go say good-bye to him."

"No."

"Why not?"

"It'll be too hard on him."

"And him leavin' without telling you where he's goin' isn't going to be hard on you?"

"It has to be this way."

Han shook his head but held his tongue, for which Leia was grateful. Luke was leaving because of her; Han wouldn't understand that. She swallowed back her tears as they watched Luke climb into the cockpit of his X-wing and prepare for take-off. Luke lightly touched Leia's mind one last time, and he maneuvered his ship out of the hangar. Leia and Han watched until he disappeared from sight.


	22. Epilogue

Epilogue:

Luke Skywalker's nose wrinkled as he made his way through the rows of the wounded and dying. Some beings lay on cots set up in the middle of the room while others sat against the walls of the crumbling building holding their limbs against their bleeding injuries. Some walked around like zombies, and many moved through the rows at a frantic pace, calling names of their loved ones and peering into the dazed faces of the wounded. A few volunteers bandaged bleeding wounds, checked vital signs, and passed out packets of water. The building where all this activity took lacked a proper ceiling. Luke stopped, looked up at a particularly large hole, and frowned at the darkening clouds that gathered in the sky.

"Sori! Sori!" A female pushed past him.

Luke's heart swelled with hope as she cried in relief and crouched down next to the Brojian seated against the wall with his eyes closed. Blood covered the right side of his bulbous head, and his arm rested in a sling. The female Diakki's tears of joy melted into wails of grief, and she cradled the dead Brojian in her four arms.

Skywalker's heart deflated and he continued down the make-shift row. It was then he spotted the reason he came to Veccilia. Princess Leia Organa was kneeling in front of a woman who held a baby. She wrapped a bandage around the woman's head, covering her left eye. Luke pressed his lips together and walked over to her.

"Luke!"

The brightest smile broke out on her face, and his heart was instantly warmed. After Leia finished tending to the woman, she jumped up and threw her arms around Luke's neck.

"I've been so worried about you."

"There was no need."

She pulled back and rubbed the short beard that Luke had grown out during his absence. "This is new."

Luke smoothed his facial hair. "Yeah. Not a lot of razors where I was."

"Come." She grabbed his hand. "We can catch up in the volunteer rest area."

His sister led him to a small room that lacked a third wall. Luke looked out into the burnt forest that lay outside. He shook his head and turned toward Leia.

"Things don't look to good here."

"They aren't. The remnants of the Empire have been keeping us busy. Their resolve and violence increase with the loss of territory." She glanced back at the door. "They're using civilians as shields."

"I guess I was naïve to think that the worse was over with the death of the Emperor."

Leia returned her attention to Luke and hugged him again. "You were gone for so long. Tell me, where have you been?"

"I returned to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. I found the location of other Jedi Temples on Nefra, Gelos, and Miak."

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

He smoothed her hair as he thought of the vast information he found in the temples and the places his search brought him. "Yes. I also found other Force sensitives. I've begun training them."

"The Jedi Order will be restored. The New Republic have their guardians back."

"I'm not sure that is the right role for the Jedi."

Leia pulled back to look into his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"During the Old Republic, the Jedi were too caught up in politics. They cannot return to that role. They must focus on the beings in the galaxy and not just enforcing the laws of the New Republic."

She nodded.

Luke pushed a strand of errant hair behind her ear. Leia had dark circles under her eyes, and the bright determination and optimism he relished in those eyes no longer burned there with the same intensity.

"Where's Han?"

He caught the flash of worry cloud her face before she recovered. "He's leading the rescue team. The Imperials sent in troops after they bombed the village. There are many still trapped out there."

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

She nodded. "At least he's close by. These missions take him out for a couple of days at the most."

"Hey, Luke. When'dja get back?"

"Han!" Leia jumped into his arms. "How was it out there?"

The former general pressed his lips together. "As good as it was yesterday. We managed to bring back twelve beings. And several bodies."

Leia nodded and looked at the ground as she stepped out of Han's embrace. Han took the opportunity to hug Luke.

"It's good to see you," Solo said.

"Where've you been?"

"A lot of places."

"You gotta tell me all about it."

"I will, but it looks like they could use some help here."

"We can always use more hands," Leia said as she grabbed Han's hand. "I've got to get back to work."

"I'll help out to," Han gave her a small smile.

"You've been out there for two days. You should rest."

"Plenty of time to rest later."

Leia stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek. "You two can help me bandage the burns of the children in the east wing. Alicia and Sal need a break."

"How many children are there?" Luke asked.

"Too many."

"Come. They'll appreciate the help."

Leia led Han out the door. Luke looked out at the scorched forest outside. It seemed like this war would never end. He thought of the Force-sensitives he began training and those he'd train in the future. Trying times were coming. Was he strong enough for this job?

Leia looked back over her shoulder, and nodded. Luke spared her a small-closed smile and followed them out of the room and towards the east wing.

THE END


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